A catastrophic event at the Italian Cultural Center of Western Massachusetts last January shut down the facility for most of this year because of the extensive damage incurred. The center, located at 56 Margaret St. in the city's South End neighborhood, is preparing to open its doors again for holiday events.

The cultural center still finds itself in serious financial arrears and has set up a GoFundMe online fundraising effort to help recoup the costs of repairs. Stephanie Spolzino, president of the center, says the damage resulted from water pipes that burst on the second floor. "(It) caused close to $200,000 worth of damage to our building," said Spolzino in an email.