Downtown Pittsfield Announces 'Hey Neighbor!' Summer Marketing Grants

10:33AM / Friday, May 16, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. (DPI) is offering the 2025 "Hey Neighbor!" Summer Marketing Grant for downtown storefront businesses.

Funded by MassDevelopment's Transformative Development Initiative (TDI), the grant aims to support businesses through coordinated cinema and radio marketing campaigns.

Ten businesses in downtown Pittsfield will be awarded marketing grants. Recipients will receive custom video advertisements to be shown before films at the Beacon Cinema and radio advertisements to air on WUPE/WBEC FM from June through August 2025. The initiative seeks to increase foot traffic, raise community awareness, and highlight the stories of local small businesses.

Applications for the grant are due by Friday, May 30, 2025, at 11:59 PM. Grant awardees will be announced on June 6, 2025.

Eligibility Requirements:

Must be a for-profit, storefront business located on or within a five-minute walk of North Street in Downtown Pittsfield.
Must have an active lease or own/operate a storefront in the district.
Must be independently owned (no franchises or chains).
Eligible business types include retail, restaurants, hospitality, bars, and other customer-facing service businesses (e.g., repair, salons, barbers, massage therapy).

Selection Priorities:

Strong storytelling and positive representation of Downtown Pittsfield.
Ability to highlight another neighboring business.
Availability for filming between June 9–13, 2025.
Responsiveness to the radio content production team.

Grant Awards by Business Size:

4 awards for businesses with 1–3 employees
3 awards for businesses with 4–9 employees
3 awards for businesses with 10+ employees

Selected businesses will be required to participate in filming coordination and provide input on campaign messaging. A final review meeting will be held at the end of the summer campaign.

Applications can be submitted at https://downtownpittsfield.com/2025/05/hey-neighbor-grants/.

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New Camp Is Safe Place for Children Suffering Loss to Addiction

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
06:26AM / Saturday, December 27, 2025

Last year's Happy Campers courtesy of Max Tabakin.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A new camp is offering a safe place for children who have lost a parent or guardian to addiction.

Director Gayle Saks founded the nonprofit "Camp Happy Place" last year. The first camp was held in June with 14 children.

Saks is a licensed drug and alcohol counselor who works at the Brien Center. One of her final projects when studying was how to involve youth, and a camp came to mind. Camp had been her "happy place" growing up, and it became her dream to open her own.

"I keep a bucket list in my wallet, and it's right on here on this list, and I cross off things that I've accomplished," she said. "But it is the one thing on here that I knew I had to do."

The overnight co-ed camp is held at a summer camp in Winsted, Conn., where Saks spent her summers as a child. It is four nights and five days and completely free. Transportation is included as are many of the items needed for camping. The camp takes up to 30 children.

"I really don't think there's any place that exists specifically for this population. I think it's important to know, we've said this, but that it is not a therapeutic camp," Saks said.

She said the focus is on fun for the children, though they are able to talk to any of the volunteer and trained staff. The staff all have experience in social work, addiction and counseling, and working with children.

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