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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Pittsfield Council Revisiting DEI Office Restructure

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
04:11PM / Tuesday, October 13, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The conversation about the DEI office renaming that was halted by a charter objection will resume on Tuesday.

The City Council will discuss a request from Mayor Peter Marchetti to restructure the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

It proposes to rename the DEI office to the Office of Equity, Access, and Opportunity and merge the Human Rights Commission and Affirmative Action Committee into an Equity, Access and Opportunity Commission.

The Ordinance and Rules Subcommittee supported the changes in August, and in September, Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham delayed the vote with a charter objection.

Pittsfield's City Code prohibits charter states that "if a single member present objects to the taking of the vote, the vote shall be postponed until the next meeting of the city council." It also stipulates that at least four members must object if it is an emergency measure.

Cunningham also submitted a petition, which was referred to O&R under Rule 27, to replace the DEI Office and the Human Rights Commission with an equity, access, and opportunity coordinator in the Department of Community Development, with formal complaints and Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action functions assigned to Human Resources.

At the last meeting, he spent more than an hour querying the mayor and chief diversity officer about functions and effectiveness of the department, wanting more quantitative data. Cunningham proposed an ordinance that he says keeps Pittsfield's commitment to equity, access, and opportunity, "refocuses it on measurable results for our residents, and delivers it at a fraction of the current cost."

Under this petition, the equity, access, and opportunity coordinator would be a $60,000 to $80,000 per year position.

The DEI Office's fiscal year 2027 budget was about $200,000 after cuts during budget season; $106,700 for the chief diversity officer and $58,000 for the administrative assistant. The coordinator would be appointed by the director of community development and the mayor.

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