The City of Pittsfield has collaborated with the Pittsfield Housing Authority to establish the City of Pittsfield Community Centers. Currently, there are two locations one at Francis Plaza (240 Francis Ave) and the other at Dower Square (253 Wahconah Street). In the future, we hope to develop a third location at the Wilson Park Housing Project. The mission of the community centers is to provide se
rvices to Francis Plaza, Dower Square and the surrounding neighborhoods to promote community engagement and to reduce gang related violence. The community center at Francis Plaza is located in APT # 15 and includes a small kitchen, one living room style and one dinning room style meeting space. The community center at Dower Square is located in apartment # 1 and includes an office, small kitchen, a dinning room style meeting room, a larger living style meeting room, two smaller meeting rooms and a playroom for children. In addition to the community center there is access to the basketball court in the back of Dower Square for sports events. A host of programs have been planned for the Community Centers including, but not limited to, childhood literacy programs, meeting rooms for neighborhood initiatives and committees, sports mentoring and instruction programs, tax filing assistance, wellness clinics, nutrition counseling and healthy eating cooking demonstrations, voter registration drives, Neighborhood Crime Watch meeting space, helmet and biking safety instruction and fire safety awareness. Programs that have already been run to date include a budgeting workshop and energy efficiency workshops from BCAC; Blood pressure screenings from BMC; Focus on Men’s Health from the City’s Health Dept.; Preservation Housing Management, which operates and manages Central Annex and Union Court, have also scheduled craft workshops at Dower Square to engage their senior residents with the youth at Dower Square; Artswalk held a presentation at Francis Plaza. The City’s Department of Community Development will coordinate a booking calendar that will be available online at the City’s website , www.pittsfieldch.com Once a program or activity has been deemed suitable for the location and a letter of intent submitted, agencies or interested parties can contact Justine Dodds, the City’s Housing Specialist to book time at the centers, either via email at [email protected] or by phone to 499-9367. The Centers will be available for scheduled activities between 9 am and 9 pm. The Pittsfield Police Department will also have informal drop in hours, as needed, to foster communication between the police and the residents and for residents to express any public safety concerns they may have. Volunteers and your ideas for the community centers are welcomed and greatly appreciated!
