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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ServiceNet Hopes to Open Pittsfield Warming Center in Nov.

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:48AM / Thursday, October 15, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— A warming center is again planned in the First United Methodist Church for the cold months.

During last week's Homelessness Advisory Committee meeting, Erin Forbush, director of shelter and housing at ServiceNet, reported that they hope to begin operating the nighttime center in mid-November.

It would operate from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. in the church, which abuts The Pearl shelter. Forbush said the warming center would be the same program as in the past.

"Again it's a warming center, so there's no cots or beds, but it is certainly a place to come in, and we'll have a hot coffee or cocoa ready for folks," she explained.

"It will be a place to be inside and warm."

This year, ServiceNet hopes to secure full funding from the state so the warming center can open on Sundays at 5 p.m. In years past, they found that Sunday is the most challenging day for unhoused individuals because many community spaces aren't open.

The First Housing Resource Center, managed by Hearthway, opened earlier this year as a low-barrier option for people to rest and access amenities. It is open seven days a week, and Forbush said if people could come to the warming center on Sundays at 5, there would be a fuller day of coverage.

"It does still leave a little gap for Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, as spaces like the library close at five, but we know that Sundays were something that people were looking for," she said.

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