Community Conversations Series to Foster Understanding and Empathy

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The public is invited to attend a series of community conversations designed to foster deeper understanding, cultivate empathy and provide an opportunity to ask questions on critical social issues. 
 
These conversations will feature insights from individuals with lived experience and experts in the fields of immigration, domestic violence, criminal justice, substance use disorder, housing insecurity and LGBTQ+ issues. 
 
All sessions will be held on Wednesdays, 4-6 p.m., at Wander, 34 Depot Street, Suite 101, Pittsfield. The schedule is as follows: 
  • September 24: Immigration with Berkshire Immigrant Center 
  • October 8: Domestic Violence with Elizabeth Freeman Center 
  • October 22: Criminal Justice with 2nd Street 
  • November 5: Substance Use Disorder with Berkshire Overdose & Addiction Prevention Collaborative 
  • November 19: Unhoused with Hearthway, ServiceNet and UpSide413 
  • December 3: LGBTQ+ with Berkshire Pride and seeing rainbows 
Each conversation is free to attend and all are welcome to learn in this safe and brave space. There will be dedicated time for questions and answers. 
 
Registration is encouraged but not required. For more information and to register, visit berkshireunitedway.org/conversations
 
 
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Companion Corner: Freya, Fudge & Charlotte

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — If looking for the perfect feline pet, why not triple the fun? There's a threesome at Berkshire Humane Society waiting for a family to call their own.

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

We highlighted Freya, Charlotte and Fudge last month and they are still looking for their new home together. 

Kittens Fudge and Charlotte and their mother, Freya, have been at the shelter and in a foster home since April. All three have tested positive for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), often described as feline HIV/AIDS

Feline/small animal adoption counselor Alyssa Petell introduced us to them. 

"They originally were brought in from animal control. The conditions weren't the best in the home. But when they came in, they were tested positive for feline AIDS (FIV). We do send our kittens normally to foster programs to get socialized with the mom. So they got sent to a foster program for about two months to get socialized," she said.

The shelter preferably would like the three to as a family, and to a home with respectful children that will keep them inside.

"We would prefer if they could all go together, but they are a very sweet trio of kitties. They would have to be indoor only because of them being feline AIDS positive," Petell said. "It is OK for them to go into a home with other cats. We prefer if they go into a home with feline AIDS-positive cats, but even if they are negative for feline AIDS, as long as they're not actively scratching each other and biting each other to transmit it, then it should be OK."

Each cat has their own personality. The two kittens love to play with an abundance of toys; one is shy and the other is outgoing. They both like to curl up and sleep in your lap once they get to know you.

It turns out that Fudge is actually a girl. In our previous article, he was mistakenly identified as a boy. 

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