Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity offers Free Tax Assistance

10:38AM / Thursday, January 22, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — For more than a dozen years, Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity (CBHFH) has provided free income tax preparation to qualifying households through the IRS-supported Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.

Services are available to households earning $69,000 or less, as well as individuals with disabilities and older adults.

All VITA volunteers complete extensive training and are IRS-certified. According to CBHFH CEO Carolyn Valli, the program's success is rooted in both volunteer commitment and community trust.

"Most of our volunteers return year after year to support this essential service for underserved residents of Berkshire County," said Valli. "More than 85 percent of our clients are returning clients, and much of the remaining 15 percent are new clients from South County whom we've recently been able to reach."

VITA services will begin Monday, January 26, with both drop-off options and scheduled appointments available to assist residents with their tax paperwork.

"Thanks to our dedicated volunteers, we're fully prepared to support our clients throughout tax season," said Lynne Newton, CBHFH Community Navigator and VITA Program Coordinator. "We're here to help in whatever way best meets their needs."

CBHFH also offers language support, including Spanish interpretation by appointment, to ensure residents feel comfortable navigating IRS requirements.

"Tax time can be stressful," Newton added. "Having documents explained in your native language can make a meaningful difference and help ease anxiety."

Service Locations & Hours

Pittsfield –Appointments available at 314 Columbus Avenue and Federal Credit Union Community Space, 75

Kellogg St.

Mondays through Wednesdays: 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Thursday: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

South County – Mason Library 231 Main Street, Great Barrington

Tuesdays & Thursdays: 2:00 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.
Wednesdays: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

MCLA - VITA tax preparation is also available by appointment only.

To schedule an appointment, call 413.442.3184.

For more information or to make an appointment at any location, residents can call 413.442.3184 or visit www.berkshirehabitat.org/VITA.

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Pittsfield Considers Changes to Committee Clerks, Including Pay

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires.com
12:19PM / Tuesday, October 13, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Do you have the experience and will to clerk city meetings?

The Ordinances and Rules subcommittee last M supported code changes that reduce the number of meeting clerks by one and increase pay. Two clerks of committees would be paid $5,000 per year for multiple monthly meetings.

"I think reorganization of this is good. I do worry a little bit that sometimes five committees is a lot, but I think I’m going to vote for this," member Kathy Amuso said.

"I think we kind of left out some of our clerks with the pay raises, and so this was on my radar for next budget season, so I think doing something earlier is better."

The subcommittee unanimously supported Council President Earl Persip III's petition to amend Chapter 16, Human Resources, and Article 6, Clerk of Committees. The aim is to have more consistency.

Clerks are currently paid around $2,800 annually for administrative and organizational support to City Council committees. This includes preparing the meeting agendas, handling documents, ensuring they are posted properly to meet Open Meeting Law, mailing hearing notifications, and taking minutes.

With these changes:

Clerks would be appointed by the City Council biannually, rather than annually.
One clerk is responsible for committees on ordinances and rules, public services and utilities, public buildings and maintenance, and community and economic development.
The second clerk is responsible for committees on public health and safety, the audit, Committee of the Whole (including budget hearings), traffic, finance, and ad hoc committees.

The current code, Section 2-26, has three clerks splitting the committees, appointed yearly in January.

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