Q-MoB Walking Group: Revitalizing Downtown Pittsfield, MA

Nick Russo serves as Berkshire Regional Planning Commission's Senior Planner for regional transportation planning, including road condition pavement management, safety and performance measures, corridor planning, and bicycle and pedestrian planning. He also is the founder & coordinator of the Pittsifield Community Design Center, which seeks to make the city one that residents take pride in, support local entrepreneurship, grow organic public spaces and events, and be a 21st-century small walkable/bikeable city that exemplifies a high quality of life for all residents, new and old.

ABOUT THE QUEER MEN'S WALKING GROUP: Many studies show that developing a regular walking practice can improve your strength, immune system, longevity, and mood, and measurably reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic pain. And if you walk regularly with other people, that habit will even more strongly improve your mood and reduce isolation, as well as help you build a better social network. As COVID, flu, RSV, & other upper respiratory illnesses spike in fall & winter, walking is a safe way to build social connections because it is almost impossible to become infected when moving outside.

PLEASE HELP INCREASE THE DIVERSITY OF QUEER MEN WHO GET INVITED TO THESE ACTIVITIES by inviting at least 3 friends/acquaintances who might be interested and inviting them to join you at at least one of these walks – so they will know at least one person:

NEW 4 Queer Men’s Weekly Walks please join us at one of our Queer Men’s Coffee Klatches and then explore some of the most beautiful iconic small towns in our region & their architecture & history in these 4 locations:

• Q-MoB Walking Group: Historic Pittsfield, MA, 1st Saturdays, 12-1p
• Q-MoB Walking Group: Historic Hudson, NY, 2nd Sundays, 12-1pm
• Q-MoB Walking Group: Historic North Adams, NY, 2nd Sundays, 12-1pm

• Q-MoB Walking Group: Historic West Stockbridge MA, 3rd Sundays, 12-1pm

DEEPER CONNECTIONS WITH MEN WHO SHARE YOUR INTERESTS: All of these activities are designed to help you connect with queer men who share some of your interests/values and want to build deeper connections AND create & sustain healthier habits as we get into the colder, darker, and more isolated part of the year.

PRE-WALK QUEER MEN'S COFFEE KLATCH @ WANDER BERKSHIRES: join us before the walk for our monthly Q-MoB Queer Men's Coffee Klatch @ Wander Berkshires, 1st Saturdays,10am-12pm. We depart from Wander Berkshires for our walk & return then at the end of the walk. Please register separately for the Coffee Klatch so we can save enough tables for our group.

WHAT TO BRING:

• Please bring $10-$20 Tax-Deductible Donation (paid online or as cash or check made out to "BSCC") or join Q-MoB by donating $25/month, $50/month, $75/month, $100/month or more -- so you never have to donate at Q-MoB activities again, or if this is your very 1st Q-MoB event, it is FREE so you can check us out.
• rain-gear &/or umbrella
• appropriate walking footwear (that can get muddy),
• snacks & water
• a fleece/sweater (sometime unexpected winds/storms can drop temps)

WEATHER: Please check the weather in Pittsfield from your home before you leave for the walk, so that you will be able bring the right clothes to deal with any last minute changes in the weather. Weather in the Berkshires can change quickly and it always good to be prepared for rain, wind, & unexpectedly cooler temps than were forecast the day before. We will only cancel the walk if there is a forecast of a thunderstorm or ice on the path, and we will text you should this happen the day of the walk.

DONATE OR BECOME A MONTHLY SUSTAINING MEMBER: Please donate $10-$20/event to help assure Q-MoB can continue to offer more than 20 activities & multiple resources & services to rural queer men all over the region. If you attend 2 or more Q-MoB events/month, please consider becoming a monthly sustaining donor member. By donating $25, $50, $75, or $100/month you can help to sustain the incredible variety of activities, services, and resources Q-MoB provides and assure all of these activities are accessible to men regardless of their age, income, or ability, and best of all you can avoid having to donate at each and every event you attend. Monthly Sustaining Members pay only once a month and then can attend all our activities with no further donation.

REACHING US DAY OF THE EVENT: If you have trouble finding us, will be late, or can't make it, please call/text Bart at 503-734-6508.