Main Street News

The Railroad Street Youth Project, in partnership with its subset program South Berkshire Community Health Coalition, as well as South County Rural Recovery Center and The Triplex Cinema, is hosting a special free screening of Recovery City on Wednesday, April 9 at 5pm. 

Recovery City is a critically-acclaimed documentary by Lisa Olivieri that explores addiction recovery journeys and community resilience, both themes that are deeply relevant to the Berkshire County communities. 

“We’re approaching this screening as an opportunity to highlight an interesting film made in Worcester, MA, and use that as a moment to think about addiction and the stigmas and assumptions that we make about those living with addiction,” explained Laura Rodriguez, the director of South Berkshire Community Health Coalition. 

Connecting with the community

This screening marks the first public presentation of Railroad Street Youth Project’s insights into substance use trends and behaviors among southern Berkshire County youth, including concerns about shifting patterns of alcohol and cannabis use and community norms that influence these behaviors. 

“This is more than just a film screening – it’s an opportunity for our community to come together, learn from real stories of resilience, and take a closer look at the experiences of young people in South County,” said Elliot Seward, the youth advocate and program coordinator at Railroad Street Youth Project. “We hope parents, educators, and local leaders will join us in this important conversation.” 

Elliot is the director of the alternative peer group at Railroad Street Youth Project, which endeavors to unify young people of all experiences in regard to their relationship with substances – from those who are sober or sober curious, to those at the other end of the spectrum who are in active addiction. 

“Essentially, the purpose of the alternative peer group is to unify young people so that they can connect and support one another, as well as identify new ways to work in the community, whether it be via physical activity, art, or other activities,” Laura explained. “Screening this film is a way to expand the alternative peer group’s existing community, while humanizing the experience of living with addiction, destigmatizing it, and shifting to a more supportive mindset.” 

The South Berkshire Community Health Coalition, a coalition that is part of Railroad Street Youth Project, consists of a wide range of organizations, schools, students, businesses, and individuals. They work to implement evidence-based strategies for a community-wide approach to reducing risk factors and enhancing protective factors that enhance mental health and reduce the high rates of alcohol and drug use among South County teens.

“Together our goal is to find ways for existing organizations to improve their capacity to reduce substance use and misuse; enlist a broader spectrum of the community to engage in that task; and improve coordination between youth-serving organizations, while engaging young people to help influence decision-making,” the South Berkshire Community Health Coalition’s page states. 

About the event 

The event will begin at 5pm with a welcome event in the Triplex lobby, featuring alcohol-free mocktails, recipe cards, and an interactive discussion on the 2025 Prevention Needs Assessment Survey findings. 

The Prevention Needs Assessment Survey, also known as the Communities That Care Risk and Protective Factor Youth Survey, is a tool that is used to gather information about youth attitudes, behaviors, and perceptions related to substance abuse, delinquency, antisocial behaviors, and violence, which helps inform prevention and intervention programs.

Following the film, there will be a virtual Q&A session with director Lisa Oliveri and some of the individuals featured in the documentary. The discussion will be moderated by Railroad Street Youth Project and the South County Rural Recovery Center, with a focus on the film’s themes and their local relevance. Audience members are invited to submit questions in advance or during the event. 

The event is open to everyone, but especially parents, young people, educators, professionals who work with youth, the recovery community, and all community stakeholders. 

Laura hopes that parents in particular will attend this event. “The reality is that parents are so busy. Regardless of how interested they are in accessing more resources and support, their busy schedules make it difficult to make time for things like this,” she said. 

“It’s challenging even in my own experience as the parent of a middle schooler. Our biggest question is always, ‘Are we reaching the people who really need this?’ This free screening is an attempt to cast a wider net and create an event that parents want to attend.” 

The screening of Recovery City will take place on Wednesday, April 9 at 5pm at the Triplex Cinema (70 Railroad Street, Great Barrington, MA). To RSVP for the event, visit this link, or email Laura Rodriguez at laura@rsyp.org or Elliot Seward at elliot@rsyp.org. 

Railroad Street Youth Project is dedicated to empowering young people in Berkshire County by providing them with the tools, support, and opportunities they need to lead healthy, fulfilling lives. Its programs focus on youth development, education, workforce training, and substance use prevention. To learn more about Railroad Street Youth Project, visit their website here.