2nd Street Awarded Re-Entry Workforce Development Grant

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Second Street Second Chances (2nd Street) has received an $89,000 Re-Entry Workforce Development Demonstration grant from the Healey-Driscoll Administration. 
 
The grant is part of a total of $2.2 million funded by the Commonwealth's Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) to train formerly incarcerated individuals. This latest round of funding is administered by Commonwealth Corporation, a quasi-public agency within EOLWD.
 
"We all benefit when individuals re-entering our communities have the relevant skills and experiences they need to succeed in today’s workforce," Governor Maura Healey said. "These grants will make a positive difference for our employers, economy and public safety."
 
The grant program aims to improve workforce outcomes for individuals returning to their communities after incarceration. Program participants receive on-the-job training from local organizations in industries such as clean energy, hospitality, and manufacturing.
 
Eleven organizations, including 2nd Street, received funding to train 389 formerly incarcerated individuals returning to the workforce for job opportunities in culinary, construction, manufacturing, hospitality and healthcare fields.
 
2nd Street will partner with the Berkshire County Sheriff's Office to offer a training program with a focus on the advanced manufacturing and engineering industry. Successful program graduates will be placed in machinist roles at Onyx Specialty Papers and Unistress Corporation.
 
"We are deeply honored to be selected as a recipient of the Re-Entry Workforce Development Demonstration Program grant," 2nd Street Executive Director Lindsay Cornwell said. "This funding allows 2nd Street to expand our mission of supporting returning citizens in Berkshire County through meaningful workforce opportunities. With this investment, we will be able to offer Advanced Manufacturing and Welding certification programs that provide participants with industry-recognized skills and a pathway toward sustainable employment. We are grateful to the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and Commonwealth Corporation for recognizing the importance of this work and for their commitment to creating equitable opportunities statewide."
 
 
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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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