Berkshire County — For 19 years, Construct Inc. has held its Warm Up the Winter campaign to raise funds for the local nonprofit’s programs. This year, the need is greater than ever, according to Executive Director Joey Lindstrom, as more residents struggle to pay for heat and utilities.
“When it comes to the current situations South County residents are facing, there are two things that are really important to be aware of,” Lindstrom told The Berkshire Edge. “The first thing is that there hasn’t been any increase in federal support through the Low Income Heat and Energy Assistance Program. The support that many people rely on through subsidies have not gone up. There was also a delay in that funding getting out to residents in need because of the prolonged government shutdown that recently happened.”
As of press time on Thursday, January 29, various media reports indicate that another government shutdown may be looming, but according to Lindstrom, it is too early to predict how another shutdown would impact programs. “The other thing is that costs for electricity, fuel, and other utilities have all gone up considerably,” he said. “It is very clear and obvious that this is one of the coldest and more severe winters that we’ve experienced in Berkshire County in many years. The need is rising in many ways, and the federal subsidy support has not been rising to meet these needs. That presents a gap that Construct needs to fill through our Warm Up the Winter campaign.”
Construct provides affordable housing and supportive services to 17 towns in Berkshire County. Its programs include emergency financial assistance, rental assistance, help with transitional housing, and microloans for fuel and utility bills, security deposits, and other various costs relating to housing.
Last year’s campaign aimed to raise $125,000, but because of increased need, Lindstrom said the organization has raised its goal to $150,000 for this year’s campaign.
Through last year’s Warm Up the Winter fund, the organization served 190 individuals in 73 households, up from 67 individuals in 26 households in 2024. “This year, we expect the number of people that we serve in Berkshire County to be even greater,” Lindstrom said. “Our focus is to use our resources to keep people safely in their homes through utility and heat assistance. But we also have a program for short-term emergency hotel stays for those who need it.”
As part of the organization’s Warm Up the Winter campaign, a benefit concert will be held at Barrington Hall on Thursday, March 5. The theme for the concert is “The Family that Plays Together Rocks.” Local musician Wanda Houston is organizing the event and will perform along with other local musicians, including Luke and Brian Franco, Carrie Wilson & Son, Bill Chapman Trio, Jackson Whalan and Family, Jackson DuCharme, Gina Coleman, and Diego Mong.
“We all want to help those who are most challenged in our community,” Houston said. “There are people that need help and they aren’t getting that much help in our community, and that is why I support Construct. The winters are harsh here, and the price of heat is ridiculously high. We have a responsibility to help each other as members of this Berkshire County community, and we need to do what we can to help those in need.”
For more information about Construct’s Warm Up the Winter campaign, including tickets for the March 5 concert, visit the organization’s website.
