PITTSFIELD — As construction at The First ramps up in preparation for its fall opening, the community partners behind the housing resource center at Zion Lutheran Church have put out a call for support — and the community response is already pouring in.
On Monday, Berkshire Health Systems announced that it has pledged $300,000 over two years to help cover The First’s startup costs, including staffing and supplies. Of the pledge, $40,000 is dedicated as matching funds to encourage giving from other local individuals and institutions.
“Housing insecurity, food insecurity, all become issues that drive our ability to live a healthy and full life. I see this as a way of helping some members of our community become more integrated into the community … and hopefully connect with services that will allow them to find stability,” said Darlene Rodowicz, president and CEO of Berkshire Health Systems.
An individual donor, who requested to remain anonymous, has also pledged support for The First with a $60,000 addition to the matching pool.
“I was incredibly moved [by the donations],” said the Rev. Joel Bergeland, pastor at Zion Lutheran Church. “In some ways though, it’s not surprising. I’ve lived here four years, and I think the Berkshires is the most readily generous community I’ve lived in.”
By September, the team of community partners hopes to raise a total of $600,000 to cover the first two years of operational costs. Raising those funds will allow them to build trust and connections within the community, free of the strings that are attached to state and federal funding, said Eileen Peltier, CEO of Hearthway.
‘AN OFFERING, NOT AN EXPECTATION’
As housing costs rise across the Berkshires and more people are experiencing housing instability or homelessness, there are few places in Pittsfield where people can escape the heat, shower, wash their clothes, charge their phone and rest comfortably.
The housing resource center, which will be called The First, is a strong step forward in bridging that gap. Once construction wraps up in September, the center will offer publicly accessible restrooms, showers, laundry machines, lockers and a commercial kitchen, among other resources.
It won’t only be a central hub where people can get their various needs met, said Erin Forbush, director of shelter and housing for ServiceNet. She and the other community partners behind The First envision it as a space where people can build a sense of trust and safety, and begin forming relationships with each other, service providers and members of the broader Pittsfield community
“We are very lucky to be in the Berkshires with a ton of resources. There really are resources out there. What is lacking for folks is that connection. Without that connection and relationship, it’s much more challenging to reach out to that resource,” Forbush said.
FUNDED BY THE COMMUNITY
To facilitate this space, Forbush, Peltier and their community partners elected not to apply for state or federal funding to cover the center’s first two years of operational costs.
“All the money from the state would come with requirements of reporting that we find would tamper with this vision of spaciousness and freedom. We do not want to burden people with forms to fill out, with objectives to achieve. We want to simply offer them a space in which they can opt for what their heart knows is best for them,” Bergeland said.
Instead, the team of community partners is asking local organizations, businesses and individuals to help them raise the $600,000 needed to cover operational expenses.
Berkshire Health Systems answered the call for support, Rodowicz said, because the mission of The First aligns closely with BHS’ own commitment to addressing social factors that influence the overall health and well-being of people in the Berkshires.
“We’re on a journey of advancing how we think about health in this country and in this community. It’s not just about taking care of you when you’re sick, but allowing you to live a full and complete life,” Rodowicz said.
Rodowicz also said she hopes The First will remove some of the pressure on the hospital’s emergency departments by offering a place where people can connect with resources or simply eat a nutritious meal, shower, use the restroom and rest during the day.
Over the next couple of months, Hearthway, ServiceNet and the other community partners behind The First will be seeking additional donors to help them meet their funding goal. Soon, there will be flyers with barcodes posted around downtown requesting donations, and individuals and organizations can also donate through ServiceNet’s website, said Peltier.
“We’re not going to solve homelessness, we’re not going to solve substance use, we’re not going to solve these things without creating community and connection amongst people who have different lived experiences,” said Peltier.
