The Berkshire Edge
BY SOLANGE BOUCHER
January 9, 2023
Pittsfield— 2nd Street, an organization supporting formerly incarcerated men and women in Berkshire County, has received a $75,000 grant from the Massachusetts Community Empowerment and Reinvestment Grant Program (CERP).
Grant funding for 2nd Street will support:
- Development of a sustainability planning study, including a plan to source revenue when American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding from the City of Pittsfield ends on June 30, 2025
- A comprehensive strategic plan
- Creation of outreach material for 2nd Street’s target population
- Creation of material to increase public awareness
- A portion of operating expenses to supplement the funding provided by the ARPA grant, foundation support and private philanthropy
The competitive grant program was developed to support communities that have historically faced disproportionate challenges to economic growth, specifically those with high rates of incarceration and/or recidivism, widespread poverty and large groups of disadvantaged and underrepresented populations.