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Did you miss the last Working Cities Wednesday? No problem! Below is information about the pitches and who to contact to get involved. Bring your pitch on June 27th 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm at the Berkshire Athenaeum.

Topic: Literacy Walk: Story Time
Lead Name: Alex Geller, [email protected], (413)499-9480 ext. 202
Summary of Discussion: Children’s walk that connects to different pages of a storybook. Strategical place parts of the walk to encourage participants to learn more about local history spots and businesses. Would local eateries sponsor tables along the literacy walk? Local printers that might work with the library to produce the large size book pages.
Three things to do before next meeting:
• Inquire into the rights to use the book
• Target restaurants, eateries, farmer’s market booths that might want to participate
• Find a printer to partner with
Resources you may need:
• Buy-in from restaurants
• Books
• Connect with Downtown Pittsfield Inc.

Topic: Harvest of Hope
Lead Name: Cheryl Rose / Anaelisa Jacobson, [email protected]
Summary of Discussion: Need to build an organizing team to tackle the Harvest of Hope festival, an intergenerational and multiethnic event on the Pittsfield common. Need volunteers to be in charge of community partners, entertainment, food, marketing, and sponsoring. The team meets every second Wednesday of the month (Next Meeting 6/13/18 @ Dottie’s).
Three things to do before next meeting:
• Recruit more community groups and raise awareness
• Email/Social media announcement
• Send out summary of achievements and remaining needs to volunteers
Resources you may need:
• Sponsors
• Food Donations
• Greater volunteer base
• Help establishing a concrete timeline to match to goals

Topic: Senior Prom
Lead Name: Sherrie, [email protected], (413)841-4466
Summary of Discussion: Host a senior prom for senior citizens to have a night out. Host at the senior center/ other community centers. Need to settle on a time/date/activities. Ask for donated apparel and hair/make-up services from Mildred Elley cosmetology students.
Three things to do before next meeting:
• Look into different locations
• Look into possible collaboration with Mildred Elley cosmetology department
• Gather more community partners
Resources you may need:
• Contacts at the local Senior Centers
• Volunteers

Topic: BBQ for Dower Square Residents
Lead Name: Nikki Tann, [email protected]
Summary of Discussion: Host a communal BBQ for the residents of Dower Square. Bring in entertainment and children’s activities to bring in families. Need help to gather together prizes for kids, food, and paper products. Want to reconnect neighbors with each other.
Three things to do before next meeting:
• Set date
• Make a flyer than can be distributed
• Get necessary supplies
Resources you may need:
• Paper goods for the meal
• Large toy for the raffle

The Fund for Shared Insight made this video about all of you and the changes we are trying to make in our community. Linda Kelly and Carolyn Valli were invited to present the great things that are going on here. We believe those things happen because of the great work that is being done by residents, organizations, and community partners. Listening to residents and the aspirations that they have for the community has been a core value since the beginning.

We now have an opportunity to become a Quality of Life Framework learning cohort. If we are selected it is a five-year commitment to measuring the efforts that we are collectively putting into the neighborhood and seeing what the outcomes are from that effort. If you are interested in being a part of this work, please let us know. And keep doing all the great things you are doing to lift resident voices.