Berkshire Community Mobilizes for Harm Reduction 'Day of Action'

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — On Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28, 2026, community members will participate in Harm Reduction "Day of Action" across Berkshire County. 
 
Following successful outreach projects this spring, workers will again go door to door to distribute lifesaving overdose prevention supplies, and to share resources and knowledge directly with residents in areas with higher ratios of opioid-related emergency 911 calls.
 
Staff from several Berkshire County public health agencies and substance use awareness groups will team up with community members to raise awareness of changes in the opioid and stimulant supply, particularly among people who use more recreationally. The initiative will also distribute naloxone and resource guides, help to connect individuals with support services, and combat the stigma surrounding substance use.
 
Outreach efforts will take place from noon to 4 pm on Saturday, June 27, in North Adams, and from noon to 4 pm on Sunday, June 28 in both Pittsfield and North Adams. Participants will have completed a mandatory training session and will carry identification and leave-behind materials with them.
 
The "Day of Action" is in partnership with the Berkshire Overdose and Addiction Prevention Collaborative (BOAPC) and Berkshire Harm Reduction. It aims to reduce overdoses and connect neighbors to vital resources.
 
This work is supported by a grant from the Mosaic Opioid Recovery Partnership and the town of Hancock, funded by the MA Department of Public Health, Bureau of Substance Addiction Services and powered by RIZE Massachusetts Foundation.
 
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Companion Corner: Fox at Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a sweet and energetic dog at the Berkshire Humane Society waiting for his new family.

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

Fox is a 3-year-old Pomeranian who has been at the shelter for about a month.

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

"He's a bundle of joy. He would love a family who's home with him a lot, because he's just, he's very social and wants to be with his people a lot. And he would be fun to bring out and about, bring a lot of places, because he's very happy to go anywhere," she said.

When Fox enters the room he is immediately a puffball of energy that goes around and around the room.

He came to the shelter after his former owner could not take care of him anymore. 

"The owner was just not able to care for him anymore. Had he came in with another dog, Wolf, and she already did find her forever home just last week," said Olivieri. "The two of them were left with a friend of the original owner, and the owner did not come back to pick them up, and the friend had too many animals in the house, and too much going on, and she just couldn't continue to look after them, so they did end up coming to us."

Fox can go home with cats and children but is not recommended to go home with other dogs as he gets too excited.

"He would love a home where people are home quite a bit to give him all the attention that he so desires. He loves kids. He absolutely adores children. So he would like a home with kids to play with. He could live with cats. We are saying that he should not live with other dogs. The only reason is that he gets very humpy, and he does not leave the other dogs alone," she said.

With his energy it is recommended he goes to a home that can keep him active whether walks or hikes and even fetch in the yard.

Fox does need to learn more about walking on a leash and has a tendency to mark in the house but he was recently neutered. Olivieri said belly bands will be sent home with whoever adopts him to help prevent marking and managing it.

"He would like an active home. He really does like to go for walks daily. He likes to run around in the yard. He does need a little work on leash walking. He sometimes gets a little tangled still under your feet, and he's learning how to walk on a leash," she said. "So, someone who's got some patience and some time to work on some training with him."

"He also is not fully potty trained, so he does know to go potty outside. However, he will still mark, urinate in the house sometimes, and he might poop here and there in the house."

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