South Berkshire Monthly Kitchen Table Talks

04:07PM / Friday, February 06, 2026Print Story | Email Story

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass — The South Berkshire Community Health Coalition, a program of Railroad Street Youth Project, has partnered with the South Berkshire Rural Health Network to offer monthly Kitchen Table Talks/Community Care Sessions at the Great Barrington Family Resource Center, 141 West Avenue on Tuesdays in February, March and April from 5:30-7:30 pm.

Combining two synergistic programs, Kitchen Table Talks/Community Care Sessions are designed for parents and caregivers interested in building their knowledge and communication skills with their children around big issues including substance use while receiving meaningful support, care and belonging in a wellness setting.

"Parenting is hard, prevention matters, and the most effective support meets people where they are," said Jennifer Goewey, Director of the Southern Berkshire Rural Health Network. "I am excited for parents and caregivers to have this opportunity to share, learn, and prioritize their own well-being – something that is both important and too often sacrificed."

Each session begins at 5:30 pm with a Kitchen Table Talk and community dinner. Kitchen Table Talks provide a supportive, peer-to-peer environment where a trained facilitator guides fellow parents through a prosocial, preventive approach to helping parents and caregivers improve communication with their children and other youth in their lives. This will be followed at 6:30 pm with a Community Care session with offerings such as guided meditation and light movement – all led by a wellness provider.

Three Tuesday sessions will be held on Feb. 24, March 24, and April 28. Childcare will be provided to attendees.

For more information about these events, including registering or arranging for free childcare, contact Laura Rodriguez, Director of SBCHC at (413) 717-7070 or at laura@rsyp.org.

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Free Pet Food Drive-Thru in Becket

10:43AM / Friday, February 06, 2026

BECKET, Mass. — Berkshire Humane Society will give out bags of cat and dog food to pet owners in need during a drive-thru event this Saturday, Feb. 7 from 9:00 – 11:00 am, at the Becket Washington School Parking Lot, 12 Maple Street in Becket.

The drive-thru is in conjunction with the Becket Food Pantry.

Cat and dog owners can drive up to the distribution point and remain in their vehicle while someone takes their order and loads it into their vehicle. Cat owners will get a 6-pound bag of food and dog owners will get a 20-pound bag, no questions asked. The event is open to all, regardless of enrollment in Berkshire Humane Society's Pet Food Bank or participation in the Becket Food Pantry and is made possible by donations from Wendy and James Martin of the Martin Family Donor Advised Fund, the Eichenbaum/Archer Family Foundation and an anonymous private foundation.

"We gave out nearly 7,200 pounds of pet food in our holiday drive-thrus in Great Barrington, North Adams and Pittsfield," said John Perreault, Berkshire Humane Society's Executive Director. "People not only drove, but walked up to those events. I can't tell you how many of them told us how thankful they were for help feeding their cats or dogs," he said. "With the cold weather lately, we don't want people choosing between staying warm and feeding themselves or their cats their pets. With this event, we're hoping to reach more folks in the hilltowns. Thanks to our generous donors, we have more than 7,500 pounds of pet food to do just that! Thank you to the Becket Food Pantry for making the event possible."

Berkshire Humane Society's Food Pantry events are part of the nonprofit's efforts to keep families together and prevent people from feeling they must surrender their pet to the shelter. Other programs include the shelter's monthly Pet Food Bank, to which drive-thru recipients may enroll; low-cost spay and neuter and other veterinary services at the Society's Wellness Clinic; and dog obedience classes at Family Dog School.

Berkshire Humane Society also accepts donations to provide pet food for more families in need. Monetary donations are preferred because the shelter has agreements with pet food companies to buy nutritious food at a bulk rate, feeding more animals per donor dollar. For more information about the drive-thru event or making a donation, call 413-447-7878, extension 127.

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