Pittsfield Senior Center awarded AARP Grant for Disaster Preparedness Initiative

08:02AM / Friday, July 04, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Ralph J. Froio Senior Center announced it has been awarded an AARP Community Challenge Capacity-Building Microgrant in Disaster Preparedness, made possible through funding from AARP and SBP, a national disaster resilience and recovery nonprofit.

This initiative is aimed at improving disaster readiness for older adults in the Pittsfield community.

The grant will fund a three-part presentation series designed to educate seniors on emergency preparedness and build overall community resilience. Participants will receive free emergency preparedness kits and printed materials covering how to prepare for weather-related events, power outages, and other unexpected emergencies.

Presentation dates are scheduled for Aug. 22 at the Senior Center, and September 18 at the Berkshire Athenaeum with a third session planned during Fire Prevention Week in October.

These events will feature expert speakers and hands-on demonstrations, helping older adults learn how to stay safe before, during, and after a disaster.

In collaboration with key community and regional partners—including the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), the American Red Cross, the City of Pittsfield Department of Public Health, and the Central Berkshire Regional Emergency Planning Committee (CBREPC)—the program aims to provide seniors with practical, accessible tools to plan ahead and protect themselves.

"This is more than an educational event—it's a coordinated effort to keep our aging population safe," said Jennifer Reynolds, director of the Ralph J. Froio Senior Center. "With support from AARP and SBP, and strong local partnerships, we're ensuring that seniors in Pittsfield are not left behind when disaster strikes."

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Pittsfield Remembers Lives Lost to Overdose, Underscores Harm Reduction

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:33AM / Tuesday, September 01, 2026

Mayor Peter Marchetti reads a proclamation at City Hall encouraging residents to raise awareness and lift each other up.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Dozens of people gathered downtown on Monday to remember those lost to overdose and work toward a future of zero deaths from substance use disorder.

The Berkshire Overdose and Addiction Prevention Collaborative and its partners held a proclamation reading and flag-raising at City Hall, followed by a standout in Park Square with signs promoting the use of naloxone, harm reduction, and reducing associated stigma.

There were 23 fatal overdoses in Berkshire County in 2025, 11 in Pittsfield. This is down 44 percent from the 41 countywide fatalities in 2024.

While it is a significant decrease, advocates want to see that number at zero.

"On the one hand, we're very pleased to see this significant of a decrease. This is actually the lowest number that we've had since [Department of Public Health] started collecting these numbers in 2013, but the goal is still zero," said Andy Ottoson, public health planner with the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission.

August is International Overdose Awareness Month, the world's largest annual campaign to end overdose, remember those lost without stigma, and acknowledge the grief of families and friends left behind. September is National Recovery Month, a national observance to educate the public on the importance of substance use treatment and mental health services.

Samantha Kendall of Berkshire Harm Reduction explained that it is truly meeting people where they are, as they are, and when they are, "and I think we all do a really great job at that."

"We also want to remember that we're building a community for everybody, and systems and policies for everybody. That's really important in harm reduction work, so that's also the reason we're here today," she said.

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