RSYP’s ‘Spoil Yourself’ Winter Raffles

November 22nd, 2011

Don’t miss out on RSYP’s AMAZING Winter Raffle this year! With prizes like these – you will be sorry!

$10 per ticket/ 3 for $25  -  Call RSYP now at 413-528-2475 to order your tickets! Choose the one that suits you, that’s the key OR buy multiple tickets and enter all 3!

Raffle #1 Out on the Town

Gift certificates to: John Andrews, Cafe Adam, Fiore & Bizen, Barington Coffee Roasters

Tickets to: The Colonial Theater, Berkshire Theater Festival, Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center and Tanglewood

Raffle # 2  The Winter Snuggly

Lila’s Mountain Wool Blanket, Gigham Rabbit soft women’s robe, Iredale Mineral Cosmetics gift basket, Evergreen Crafts Gift Certificate, dinner for 4 cooked in your home by Chef Zee of Berkshire Braized and a bottle of champagne!

Raffle #3 Relax & Rejuvinate

Gift certificates to: Body & Soul, Michele’s Salon & Day Sp and Studio Day Spa. A 3-day pass to Yoga Great Barrington, a 3-month membership to Berkshire South and an overnight stay at Kripalu!

The drawings will be held LIVE on WSBS by State Rep. Smitty Pignatelli on December 16th. Don’t miss out!

2011 Culinary Arts Winter Dinner!

November 22nd, 2011

Error Resizing Image: resize_path_invalid
Original Image Path: "/var/www/vhosts/rsyp.org/httpdocs/wp-content/uploads/Wine-Dine155x861.jpg"
Resize path invalid

DINE & WINE WITH US BEFORE YOUR WINTER HIBERNATION BEGINS!

Join us on Monday, December 5th for an evening of culinary delights and celebration at The Red Lion Inn for our WINTER CULINARY DINNER. The evening will begin at 5:30 in the lobby with wine and hors d’oeuvres, followed by a bountiful dinner in the Hitchcock Room. Dinner will be prepared by RSYP’s Culinary Arts  students under the guidance of Brian Alberg of The Red Lion Inn and Dan Smith or John Andrews Restaurant. Proceeds will go towards supporting our Culinary Arts Program that preovides an opportunity for youth to learn culinary art skills from the best in the Berkshires.

Dinner tickets (including wine): $100 Patron Dinner Ticket, $150 Snow Angel Dinner Tickets (extra contributions will help fund youth trips to local cultural attractions). Make your reservations NOW by calling RSYP at 413-528-2475!

RSYP Culinary Arts Winter Dinner Menu (YUM!!!)

1st Course: Roasted Farm Girl Squash Bisque, Toasted Pepeitas

2ns Course: Zehn Farm Mushroom Bolognese, Orchetta Pasta & Shaved Bovinaburg Cheese

3rd Course: Winter Green Salad & Comte Grilled Cheese, Bosc Pears & Candied Walnuts

Entree: Roasted Punsit Valley Chicken, Mashed Equinox Potatoes & Farm Girl Collards

Dessert: Blueberry Bread Pudding, Salted Caramel & High Lawn Cream

 

YOB Nov. 15, 2011

November 17th, 2011

Attendees:

John Humes

Jon Obanhein

Caleb Breslin

Susanna Yudkin

Shea Caligari

Fay Lee Thung

Kelsey Marzotto

Arron Arnspiger (and Hailey)

Andrea

Brenda Barlow

David Richardson

Jarrid Falta

Julia Gottlieb

Austen Dupont

Proposals and Conversations:

Dance- chaperones needed

Amazon or Facebook wishlist

Winter soup turnover

Winter weekend hours (12-7?)- events or programs planned: movie night, PJ night, open mic, Sunday study group

Karaoke machine/program (for XBox?)

More videogames

Caligari sled donation?

Blackout dance

WInter formal- Virtual Enterprise dance

 

YOB: Nov. 1, 2011

November 17th, 2011

Attendees:

Susanna Yudkin

Caleb King

Sean McTeigue

Michael Johnson

Shea Caligari

Arron Arnspiger

Becky Sternal

Rudi Bach

Austen Dupont

Arielle Anderson

Julia Gottlieb

Tom Kelly

Charles Capeless

Max Weiner

Sebastian Zapata

Jared Boza

John Humes

Alex Cami

 

Proposals and Conversations:

Karaoke machine

First snow= soup day! (need a hot plate or crockpot or toaster oven)

Constant turnover of soup on winter weekends

Late night winter weekends- funds needed

Volunteer trial period

Consistent hours, listed weekly on website or Facebook page

Christmas toy donation box, Toys 4 Tots

Movie night

PIng pong tournament

Sledding

Snowman competition with prizes

Snowforts

Butternut or Vermont ski trip- day passes and transportation

Food cooking contest

Food sculpting contest

RSYP wishlist

Panini press

Gingerbread house contest

Tubing at Butternut

Heroin problem

YOB: Oct. 18, 2011

October 19th, 2011

Attendees:

Paul McNeil (Program Director)

Becky Sternal (Social Worker)

Susanna Yudkin, 17, Stockbridge (Intern)

Caleb King, 17, Sheffield (Intern)

Fay Lee Thung, 17, Housatonic

Max Weiner, 15, Lenox

Curtis Kelley, 17, Stockbridge

Matthew Wilcox

Sergio Delmolino, 17, Stockbridge

Erin Blackwell, 17, Sheffield

Arielle Anderson, 16, Monterey

Arron Arnspiger, 21, Great Barrington

Tatiana Gottwald, 16, Mt. Washington

Sean McTeigue, 15, Great Barrington

Shea Caligari, 17, Richmond

John Humes, 15, Great Barrington

Proposals:

Teepee Canvas

Art Apprenticeships

Glass Blowing

Painting Workshop

Open-mic night (fundraiser?)

Teen Dance Party @Berkshire Pulse

YOB: Oct. 11, 2011

October 11th, 2011

Attendees:

Paul McNeil (Program Director)

Becky Sternal (Social Worker)

Masha Jones (CHP representative)

Michael Johnson

Susanna Yudkin (Intern)

Caleb King (Intern)

David Asoph

Arielle Anderson

Arron Arnspiger

Alex Kushi

Sean McTeigue

Jake Borden

Kori Blackwell

Proposals:

Fall-themed potluck dinner

Tie dieing

Laser Tag

Pumpkin carving (contest)

Haunted house at Drop In center

Community Soup potluck- winter

Controlled dream study group

Best Buddies prom

Christmas Ball/Gala

Digeridoo lessons: November 5th

 

Conversations:

Occupy Berkshires: Sundays 1-3pm, Great Barrington town hall

Fri. November 4th- South Berkshire Community Coalition

Condidential help/support groups

Check out our Drop-In Center Makeover!

October 7th, 2011

Dance Party Friday the 7th

October 6th, 2011

Error Resizing Image: resize_path_invalid
Original Image Path: "/var/www/vhosts/rsyp.org/httpdocs/wp-content/uploads/dance-party1.jpg"
Resize path invalid

Error Resizing Image: resize_path_invalid
Original Image Path: "/var/www/vhosts/rsyp.org/httpdocs/wp-content/uploads/dance-party11.jpg"
Resize path invalid

Hello Hello Dance Party Seekers!

Here’s the skinny from the staff at RSYP:

-6 to 10 wonderful local adult youth development leaders will be supervising the shindig and participating in a few break dance showdowns themselves
-Parents and guardians are more than welcome to join us throughout the evening for a snack, or to bust a move
-Good old fashioned Dancin’ from 7pm to 11pm (see “Footloose” for more information)
-In our space at RSYP we will celebrate dance that is respectful, responsible, consensual, positive, expressive, creative, fun, fun, and even sweatier fun. If you don’t two-step in this fashion, you are not welcome in this space, partner. That’s how we roll.
-RSYP is an inclusive, safe, and substance free space. Come sober. Stay sober. Get high on the magic of dance. For realsies. That’s how we roll.
-There will be a police officer mozying about the space throughout the evening. Feel free to High-5 them, engage them in short meaningful conversations, and ask them what their favorite dance move is
-90 person maximum at the Drop-In Center so…
-We got a bouncer, a big one. Wicked big.
-We’re keeping the limit at 90 as that is our firecode maximum
-Get there early if you want to get in and dance dance dance, after 90 heads we’ll only let you in after someone leaves, club style
-There will be snacks. Be polite. Don’t stuff your face. Save some for the next young dance star. And thank you to Bizen, Big Y, Taft Farms, Windy Hill, the Co-Op, and Subway for the snacky snacks!

And of course, if there’s anyone out there with questions or concerns with regards to this big night of funk, PLEASE reach out to me here at the Drop-In Center on 60 Bridge Street, in beautiful (seriously, peep the leaves around this place!) GB. We hope to see you Friday night!

Take care- Paul that is tall

Paul M. McNeil, Drop-In Center Program Director
Railroad Street Youth Project
P.O. Box 698
Great Barrington, MA 01230
(413) 528-2475 ext. 903
email hidden; JavaScript is required
www.rsyp.org

YOB: Oct. 4, 2011

October 6th, 2011

ATTENDEES:

Paul McNeil (Program Director)

Becky Sternal (Social Worker)

Caleb King (Intern)

Susanna Yudkin (Intern)

John Humes

Arielle Anderson

Aaron Arnspiger

Hailey Arnspiger

Don Victor

Alex Kushi

Daniel Seamans

 

TOPICS:

Proposals:

  • Fall-themed potluck dinner
  • Tie-dying
  • Skydiving
Conversations:
  • Berkshire South nutrition center or Home Ec classes to cook for potluck dinner
  • Dance chaperones/bouncer
  • Substance abuse
  • Gideon’s Garden (Taft Farms)

College Readiness Workshop a Success!

October 6th, 2011

Error Resizing Image: resize_path_invalid
Original Image Path: "/var/www/vhosts/rsyp.org/httpdocs/wp-content/uploads/PIC_17382.jpg"
Resize path invalid

We had a meaningful and successful College Readiness Workshop evening here at the Drop-In Center here on Bridge Street Tuesday night. 7 local college readiness experts were in attendance including representatives from Hudson Valley Community College, Bard College at Simon’s Rock, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Mildred Elley, Miss Hall’s School, as well as financial aid advice from RBC Wealth Management. The first half of the evening featured pizza and snacks donated by the Gypsy Joynt, Taft Farms, Barrington Bagels, and Dunkin’ Donuts over a group discussion about navigating financial aid, college interviews, application specifics, essay topics and advice, as well as discovering which school fits best for each student. The second half of the evening featured small break-out sessions where students shared specific questions and concerns around the application process in more detailed student-centered conversations. The support of our adult leaders in attendance was inspiring and the openness to learn that the college-students-to-be approached the workshop was truly impressive.

Thanks again to all of our experts!

Youth exploring their college options for next year.

 (Youth exploring their college options for next year)