Gala Celebration of Youth Alive and ROPE Legacy

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A gala celebration in honor of the impact and legacy of Youth Alive (YA) and the Rites of Passage & Empowerment (ROPE) program will be held on Saturday, Nov. 8 at the Berkshire Innovation Center, 45 Woodlawn Ave. in Pittsfield.

The ticketed program will begin at 6 p.m. and feature guest speaker the Rev. Nakeida Bethel-Smith. All proceeds will support the ROPE scholars, mentors and ambassadors global service trip to Ghana in West Africa. Tickets can be purchased here.

This year, Youth Alive marks its 30th anniversary, while ROPE is celebrating a 15-year milestone. YA is a multicultural community-based arts program providing arts and educational opportunities to young people 8-18 years of age with a focus on dance forms including Step, African and Hip-Hop. ROPE's mission is to celebrate and honor the entry of female adolescents into adulthood and provide them with skills and knowledge that they need to be successful, independent and responsible people. 

"I'm eternally grateful for the support our community has shown over the life of Youth Alive and ROPE There has been a generation of young adults that benefited from the mentoring, guidance. leadership development and empowerment," said Shirley Edgerton, founder of both groups. "You're invited to celebrate and plant a financial seed to ensure the future of these impactful and transformative programs continue to thrive." 

Gloria Williams of Pittsfield, 16, is a scholar in the ROPE program, and says ROPE has had a tremendous impact on her life.

"I was born and raised in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. I joined ROPE four years ago, and I am so glad that I did. For me, ROPE has provided limitless opportunities. Aside from the traveling and cultural aspect, it has allowed every single young woman here to make connections with so many people in so many different places that they never would have otherwise."

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ROPEinGhana

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Companion Corner: Princess at Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There is an energetic girl waiting to find her new home at the Berkshire Humane Society.

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.  

Princess is a six year old shepherd mix that has been at the shelter for just over a month.

Canine caregiver and adoption counselor Simone Olivieri told us about Princess.

"She's very social, very friendly. When you're out walking her, she just wants to go say hi to every single new person. Loves to make new friends. She's a lot of fun. She's very active. She's very spunky. She's very playful, and she's going to need a very very active family who's going to do a lot with her." 

But Princess is no stranger to the shelter. She was a puppy five years ago and got adopted quickly, but now she needs a new family to take care of her.

"She was adopted out fairly quickly as a young puppy. She's been in the same home for the past five years. Unfortunately, they were moving out of state somewhere," Olivieri said. "They could not take her with them, so she ended up coming as a return to shelter, and she came back to stay with us."

Princess needs to go to a home as the only animal or with other male dogs that are her size or bigger.

"Her perfect home would be kids eight and up. No cats. No small animals. She has quite a prey drive. She could go to a home with another dog around her size or larger, preferably a male dog. She does a little bit better with male dogs, and she's looking for a home where people are home quite a bit, so that she's not left alone for too long. She has some separation anxiety," Olivieri said. 

She also needs a very active home that can let her use her energy every day, as she is very rambunctious. Especially with playing with her favorite toy, the flirt pole.

"She could use a home where people are going to give her a lot of attention and more than just a few walks a day; she's going to need lots of exercise, lots of playtime, lots of mental stimulation," Olivieri said. "She likes to learn, so someone who would be willing to take her to training classes or work on some training with her, as well as hikes, getting out and about, doing new things, different things. She is very athletic. She'd excel at things like agility, some dog sports. Just someone who is really going to want to engage and do a lot of different kinds of activities with her." 

Once you let her get her energy out, she is a cuddler who wouldn't mind being held like a baby from time to time.

"She's very sweet. She's very cuddly. She's very affectionate, but she is not a couch potato. She will stay on that couch with you for a little bit, and then she's ready to go off and do something else. So she's very busy. She's very active," Olivieri said. "Once all of her exercise needs are met during the day, she will settle down nicely, and she will want to be right by your side, cuddle with you at night on the couch, sleep with you."

Princess is very healthy but does experience some anxiety and is not fully potty trained and might have the occasional accident.

"She does have a little bit of anxiety, so she is on some medication for it right now," Olivieri said. "So a lot of structure, a lot of outlets, and familiarity, getting used to a new routine and everything is gonna be really good for her. I mean, she's just lovely. Like I said, she's very social. She likes to play with other dogs. She likes to meet new people."

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