{"id":12045,"date":"2022-04-11T02:58:35","date_gmt":"2022-04-11T02:58:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/johntownes.com\/Tree\/?p=12045"},"modified":"2022-04-11T03:01:59","modified_gmt":"2022-04-11T03:01:59","slug":"program-aims-to-make-pittsfield-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/johntownes.com\/Tree\/2022\/04\/11\/program-aims-to-make-pittsfield-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Building a Coalition to Make Pittsfield Work"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By JOHN TOWNES<\/strong>
Contributing writer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PITTSFIELD, Mass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


When researchers for the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston set out a few years ago to figure out why some faded industrial cities were able to reinvent themselves while others struggled, they found that success wasn\u2019t just dependent on geography, demographics or the local economic mix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Alisa Costa, Director of Working Cities Pittsfield<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n


Instead, the researchers concluded that the cities that were most successful at revitalization for a post-industrial age were those with \u201cstrong civic infrastructure\u201d \u2013 local leaders and institutions capable of developing a vision for renewal and pursuing it across many economic sectors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


The next question was whether the Boston Fed, which aims to foster growth in New England\u2019s low-income communities as part of its mission, could help to strengthen the civic infrastructure in the region\u2019s many smaller cities that are grappling with the transition away from an industrial past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


In Pittsfield, which has had its share of struggles since General Electric Co. ended nearly all of its local operations in the 1980s, cutting 12,000 jobs, the Fed\u2019s effort led to the creation of \u201cBerkshire Bridges \u2013 A Working Cities Initiative,\u201d a broad-based coalition of local government, nonprofit organizations, individuals and businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


The local project was established in 2016 with a $475,000, three-year grant from the Boston Fed and a network of other organizations, including local matching funds. The money was awarded through the Working Cities Challenge, a competitive grant program to support cross-sector, collaborative leadership and initiatives to improve the lives of people, especially low-income populations, in small cities in New England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cAs a community, we have to get together and work for common goals to reach where we want to be,\u201d explained Alisa Costa, the initiative director for Working Cities Pittsfield. \u201cThe underlying goal of Working Cities is to foster and support a common dedication and buy-in to make Pittsfield thriving, just and safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


To achieve these broad goals, she said, the program pursues a multifaceted, community-based approach. The program sponsors some activities and provides certain services itself. Its larger mission, though, is to provide a framework to aid partnerships and projects carried out by other local organizations and residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cPeople and organizations in Pittsfield have many ideas, and this is a way to test them and see how they work,\u201d Costa said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cThe point of the grant is to allow us to learn how to bring about positive system change,\u201d she continued. \u201cThis basically provides an opportunity to do different things, collect data, and see what sticks. If something doesn\u2019t get the desired outcomes, we don\u2019t lose the grant money. It\u2019s a different way of looking at things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moving together<\/strong>
One emphasis is on direct input and participation of residents, especially people with limited resources who are served by nonprofit organizations and government aid programs. Another aspect involves building alliances with the region\u2019s many arts, cultural and social-service organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


As an example of this approach, Working Cities and Jacob\u2019s Pillow Dance Festival have partnered on a program called \u201cPittsfield Moves!\u201d in which dance professionals undertook a yearlong residency in the city, helping local people to develop and rehearse an original performance piece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Pittsfield Moves! has involved the local chapters of Manos Unidas, the NAACP and Angela\u2019s Pulse, an interdisciplinary community-building program that creates and produces collaborative performance work based on local stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Over a six-month period, members of Angela\u2019s Pulse visited the city and talked with residents about their lives and concerns. They also held workshops to create the performance, which was presented in July at Jacob\u2019s Pillow in Beckett and at the Gather-In Festival in Durant Park in Pittsfield. (The long-running neighborhood festival is organized by the local NAACP.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cPittsfield Moves!\u201d is continuing through the end of the year, with additional workshops and activities. The performance project has a unique aspect that reflects a larger approach of Working Cities: Jacob\u2019s Pillow budgeted funds to pay local participants in the project for their time and input into the creative process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


In a larger sense, the local Working Cities program has created venues to foster communication and interaction among nonprofit groups, government agencies and the general population. These range from formal programs to social events and other activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cThis is part of the Federal Reserve\u2019s economic mission,\u201d Costa explained. \u201cWorking Cities is a program to encourage economic development on the ground level within communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


The inaugural round of Working Cities Challenge grants was offered in 2013, with six cities selected. Pittsfield was one of five Massachusetts cities to be awarded a multi-year grant in 2016.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Habitat for Humanity is the local sponsoring organization for the initiative. Habitat administers the grant, but the Working Cities program is largely autonomous, with its own steering committee. The project has a core network of supporters and participants that includes the city government and organizations such as Habitat, United Way, Berkshire Health Systems, Berkshire Community College and others, as well as individuals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building bridges<\/strong>
By its nature, the Working Cities program\u2019s activities are fluid, and participation is open-ended, Costa said. Many activities are projects of individual sponsors, with Working Cities helping build alliances and partnerships with other organizations in the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


A centerpiece of the initiative is based on a model created by aha! Process, a company that helps employers, community organizations, social service agencies and individuals pursue a comprehensive approach to addressing poverty and related issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Based on this model, the local Working Cities program sponsors Bridges Out of Poverty, a training program that fosters improved communications and understanding between service providers, employers and local people who are struggling economically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Costa explained that people and organizations tend to look at life and have expectations from the perspective of their own backgrounds and experiences. In addition to factors such as race and gender, this includes their economic background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cThis program is designed to increase cultural competency through an economic lens,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re all somewhat limited in our perceptions and expectations by our own geography, race and class. We can change and broaden those expectations when we interact with people who have different experiences and perspectives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


The training sessions bring people together so they can discuss and understand these differences and come up with their own solutions based on mutual interests and requirements. For example, Costa said, a business owner who has always been financially comfortable might not understand how different pressures drive the behavior of their employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cAn employer may not know about the challenges faced by lower-income workers,\u201d she said. \u201cAn employee may have problems with being late or absenteeism because they are coping with transportation problems or pressures of child care or health issues to an extent that people with middle-class incomes do not face.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


On the other side, employees may not be aware of the expectations and needs of their employers in terms of dress and behavior on the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Similarly, organizations that help people in need may have systems and approaches that inadvertently create barriers and problems for their customers or clients, Costa said. This may include paperwork, intake and other processes, or methods of service delivery that add to the difficulties of the people they serve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cThe lack of mutual understanding also happens on an institutional level,\u201d she said. \u201cA service organization may have been created with good intentions to help different populations. However, they may be set up and run by people through a middle-class lens that may not necessarily address the actual needs and situations of their clients.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


As an example, she said, community health care services may not account for the particular pressures and needs of people with low incomes and inadequate access to medical services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cIt\u2019s one reason health clinics in low-income neighborhoods have long lines and full waiting rooms,\u201d she said. \u201cTheir operations and design may be based on models for clinics oriented to middle class people with full coverage, who may only require a short visit with a doctor for routine care. Someone who cannot afford regular care, or whose health may also be affected by different factors, is likely to require longer visits.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Costa emphasized that these training sessions are designed to foster greater communication so organizations can develop their own solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cEvery organization wants to do better,\u201d she said. \u201cThey might use data, but they also need to talk to people they serve. We offer methods to encourage that interaction, which the organization incorporates into its own practices and policies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Targeting poverty<\/strong>
Another program called \u201cGetting Ahead in a Just-Getting-By World\u201d is oriented toward self-help for people trying to overcome poverty and its related challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cIt\u2019s for individuals who are struggling to get ahead but have difficulty figuring out why they\u2019re not succeeding,\u201d Costa said. \u201cPoverty is very isolating. This provides a supportive environment and a framework for dialogue and guided research. It enables participants to clarify their situation and develop a specific plan. It helps people help themselves, without telling them specifically what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Costa added that members of the Getting Ahead group determine what topics they\u2019ll discuss and pursue. Although many of the participants have low incomes, she said the program also addresses the needs of people who are financially self-sufficient but may be dealing with other barriers, such as mental illness. Active participants receive a $20 stipend for each session completed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cWe offer that because the participants are also providing us valuable insights and information,\u201d Costa said. \u201cPeople with low incomes are very resourceful and ingenious at problem solving.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


In a related program, Working Cities residents of targeted neighborhoods are trained as \u201ccommunity navigators.\u201d Their role includes distributing fliers and information about activities and services available. They also survey neighborhoods to determine specific needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


The community navigators also provide individual counseling and assistance to residents who need help finding services and resources or handling the paperwork or other processes involved in obtaining social services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Another program is Working Cities Wednesdays, a series of public meetings held on the fourth Wednesday of the month at rotating locations around the city. These sessions bring the public together with representatives of local organizations, businesses and city government to discuss current projects. The sessions also allow individuals or organizations to make a short \u201cpitch,\u201d suggesting new projects they\u2019d like to pursue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cThese ideas might be something as straightforward and focused as organizing a cleanup of a local park — or an idea for a larger program or project that will enhance neighborhoods and the overall city,\u201d Costa explained. \u201cAfter the pitches, everyone breaks into self-selected groups to discuss the ideas that interest them, and then reports back at the end of the meeting. … A lot of connections are made and have led to actions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A living legacy<\/strong>
The three-year Federal Reserve grant expires next year. Costa said it is possible additional grants will be available for specific activities. But one goal is to raise funds from other sources to continue Working Cities\u2019 programs and activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cWe\u2019ll assess exactly what we do as we move forward,\u201d she said. \u201cOur basic goal has been to provide training and open up dialogues and stimulate programs that are picked up and adopted by organizations and agencies on their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201d
Working Cities already has had an impact on many levels, she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Some 236 people, for example, have taken part in its Bridges Out of Poverty training sessions.
In addition, a recent evaluation of the Getting Ahead program reported that 53 people had graduated from the program. Among them, four people have been placed on city boards and commissions, four have been hired by the city, eight got better jobs or were promoted, and six reported improving their finances without getting a new job or raise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cThe most important part of Working Cities is that it has brought together many people and residents to find ways to get the whole city of Pittsfield moving together,\u201d Costa said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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