Habitat For Humanity Holiday Match Challenge

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity announced that a longtime supporter has once again stepped forward with a 1-to-1 Holiday Match Challenge, offering to match all donations made through Dec. 31, 2025, up to $7,000. 
 
Every gift made during this year's Home for the Holidays campaign will go twice as far in helping local families build strength, stability, and self-reliance through affordable homeownership.
 
"We are incredibly grateful for this donor and his family, whose continued commitment to Habitat's mission has been essential to our work," said Habitat CEO Carolyn Valli. "This year has been especially challenging for nonprofits, but our community's need for affordable housing continues to grow. This match gives every donor the opportunity to make an even bigger impact at a time when it is needed most."
 
Donations made through the online match page at donorbox.org/home-for-the-holidays-match will be doubled automatically.
 
Despite financial and operational challenges faced by nonprofits across the region, Habitat has continued to accelerate its building efforts. Ten homes are currently underway across Central and Southern Berkshire County, including ongoing work in Pittsfield and progress on Phase One of the Prosperity Way community in Housatonic.
 
"Our team and volunteers are working harder than ever," added Valli. "This match challenge helps ensure we can complete the homes already under construction and keep our momentum strong. Every dollar raised directly supports local families and keeps these homes affordable for generations to come."

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Pittsfield Council Says 'Yes' to Soccer at Crane Park

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

The pitch will have the logos of the city and the US. and Massachusetts soccer associations. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is gladly accepting a "mini-pitch" from the U.S. Soccer Foundation to bring games back to Crane Park. 

Fueling excitement around the World Cup, U.S. Soccer has been working with the Massachusetts Youth Soccer League to make these facilities available to 20 communities — one of which will be at the park at the intersection of Benedict Road and Springside Avenue. 

The City Council accepted the gift on Tuesday during its regular meeting. 

A mini pitch is a compact, modular field typically used for soccer, and it can also accommodate inline skates. It has a galvanized steel border with built-in goals and a rubber plastic surface that is clicked together; installed on the existing inline hockey court. 

Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham said he has gone door to door speaking with nearby residents, and they are "really excited" about the upgrade. He also sees it as a great addition. 

"They say that nobody really uses the court a ton now, and they are excited to see kids back on there playing," he said. 

Decades ago, the Crane Park facility was a wading pool. It closed in 1980, and before the turn of the century, it was filled in and marked for hockey. 

Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath explained that the wooden border around the rink is showing its age, has been vandalized and tagged, and the facility is seeing a "real decline" in use. 

"This would seem to be an appropriate spot for us to remove the board system that's in place and install the mini pitch system through this grant," he said. 

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