ServiceNet’s Pittsfield Warming Center Opens for Winter

As temperatures drop, ServiceNet is reopening its overnight warming center in downtown Pittsfield, providing a safe, warm place for people experiencing homelessness to escape the cold.

Located inside First United Methodist Church at 55 Fenn St., the center will be open Nov. 16 through April 30. Hours are 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. on Sundays. The center has funding to serve about 50 people a night and provides breakfast each morning.

In recent coverage by The Berkshire Eagle and iBerkshires, ServiceNet Senior Director of Shelter and Housing Erin Forbush emphasized the dangers of winter weather for people without stable housing, including the risk of hypothermia and frostbite.

According to both articles, Pittsfield’s January 2026 Point-in-Time count identified 192 people experiencing homelessness, including 23 children. Of those counted, 14 were unsheltered. Forbush noted that the actual number may be higher, particularly because the count took place during a major snowstorm, when some people may have been sheltering temporarily with friends.

The warming center is one of several ServiceNet resources in Pittsfield. The Pearl, a 40-bed shelter at 21 Pearl St. (and also on the First United Methodist Church property), is at capacity, with a waiting list. The First, a daytime resource center housed in Zion Lutheran Church at 74 First St., offers showers, laundry facilities, secure lockers, and a welcoming indoor space. Open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., The First is entering its first full winter of operation.

Community members can support these services through donations of clothing, canned food, ground coffee, or financial contributions. Items may be dropped off at The First, and monetary donations may be made at servicenet.org.

Read the full articles at The Berkshire Eagle and iBerkshires.