Elder Services Relocates Administrative Offices

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Elder Services of Berkshire County, Inc. (Elder Services) relocated its administrative offices to a central location in the heart of Pittsfield. 
 
The new space, previously occupied by Wayfair's open-concept call center, underwent significant renovations on the first and second floors to construct offices and other spaces for Elder Services' growing workforce. It offers ground level access, an enhancement for clients and visitors with health and mobility issues as the Agency's former space required a journey to the fourth floor to access services. Elder Services is now housed in its new location at 73 South Church Street in Pittsfield.
 
Christopher McLaughlin, Executive Director, expressed the significance of this move for Elder Services' staff and the people they support. 
 
"Our staff are excited to have moved into bright, contemporary space in the heart of Pittsfield. Our new offices enable easier access for our clients and enough space for our workforce, which continues to grow in response to unprecedented demand for the services we provide."
 
The Agency is also celebrating its Golden Anniversary. Elder Services was incorporated in 1974 as a private, non-profit home care corporation with three staff. What was once an Agency focused solely on home care support has grown to offer an extensive list of services including home care, information and referral, caregiver support, SHINE counseling, housing options, long-term care ombudsman advocacy, money management and the senior nutrition program
(Meals on Wheels).
 
"Berkshire County is a much different community in 2024 than it was in 1974. With one of the oldest and poorest populations in Massachusetts, living in Berkshire County poses considerable challenges for seniors, individuals with disabilities and caregivers. Elder Services is proud of our legacy of supporting individuals for more than half a century and look forward to serving even more people in the future," McLaughlin said.
 
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BCC Sees $1M in Federal Funds for Trades Academy

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

U.S. Rep. Richard Neal secured $995,000 to begin design and construction of the academy. The congressman had earlier attended the Norman Rockwell Museum business breakfast, which celebrated Laurie Norton Moffatt's 49 years leading the institution.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College was awarded nearly $1 million in federal funds to support a Trades Academy. 

On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal visited the college to highlight the $995,000 he secured through congressionally directed spending. Executive Director of Workforce and Community Education Linda Clairmont said BCC can be a destination for adults who want to learn a skilled trade. 

"I want to join up with the amazing work that Taconic and McCann (vocational high schools) are doing to prepare people for these really specific skills, helping people become confident professionals with a direct path to high-wage, high-demand jobs," she explained. 

"And we're also addressing the labor shortage that exists in this county, around the state, and around the country, in the skilled trades." 

The federal funding will support a feasibility study of an existing vacant building on campus, as well as the evaluation and abatement of any hazardous materials at the location, because it was once a power plant. 

BCC will dip its toe into the skilled trades with its first HVAC training program, for which it received $1.2 million from the state in support. The $995,000 in federal funds will go toward creating the academy in a building located on the main campus, and the HVAC heat pump training program will be funded by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. 

The $1 million in federal monies will get the college to construction documents, maybe fund some construction, and help identify the necessary equipment and other learning space needs for a skilled trade, Clairmont reported. 

The funding is part of more than $14 million in congressionally directed spending secured by the congressman to support economic development, workforce training, and community infrastructure across the Berkshires.

Neal said there are about 6.5 million jobs in the United States that go unanswered every day.

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