Berkshire Bank Workers Volunteer for Season of Service

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Bank employees will be volunteering throughout region as part of the bank's first annual Season of Service campaign.

More than 150 employees are expected to participate in the holiday Season of Service effort with all of the community service projects benefiting non-profit organizations and families across Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut and Vermont.

Bank employees are also inviting the public to join with them from Nov. 26 to Dec. 21 to support local children and families in need this holiday season.

"We wanted to do something special to give back to our communities this holiday season," said Lori Gazzillo, assistant vice president of community relations, adding that the financial institution's Employee Volunteer Program is part of its commitment to the community. "Our monthlong Season of Service is an extension of this program and allows us to use our time and talents to have an impact the communities that we serve. We hope our efforts this holiday season will inspire others to give of their time, treasure, and talents to make our communities a better place."



The projects were selected and organized by regional employee volunteer committees, consisting of employees who help oversee the bank's Employee Volunteer Program in their areas under the guidance of the Berkshire Bank Foundation.

In Berkshire County, the program will feature Berkshire Bank branch offices and departments adopting children and families in partnership with the Department of Children & Families' Pittsfield office, which serves all of Berkshire County. In addition to their collection efforts for these local families, bank employees will participate in a variety of service projects including distributing Christmas gifts and food to families with the Salvation Army and teaming up with the Berkshire County Chapter of the American Red Cross to wrap presents and raise funds for the Red Cross' programs at the Berkshire Mall in Lanesborough in December.

In 2011, more than half of the bank's employees donated more than 26,000 hours of service to benefit community organizations across the bank's service area. The bank also gives nearly $1.5 million annually to nonprofit organizations through the Berkshire Bank Foundation and Berkshire Bank Foundation – Legacy Region.

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Pryor & Peacock's Whimsical Furniture Environmentally Friendly

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
 

The company uses digital printing to create the upholstery fabric, saving water and saving vintage furniture from ending up in landfills.

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — A unique furniture store has popped up on Elm Street this month.

Mom-and-daughter store Pryor & Peacock is hosting the pop-up storefront from Aug. 13 to Aug. 25 at 6 Elm. The New Marlborough business is co-founded by Rosalina Wright and Luca Shapiro, who is also the creative director. 

Their online shop was created in 2024 but they wanted people to see the pieces in person, so they're renting the space for a limited time before a long-term tenant moves in.

The store sources prints to create unique fabrics and reimagines vintage and antique furniture acquired at auctions, local shops, and online.

"We source prints from all over the world that date from the late 1600s up through mid-20th century, and Luca turns those prints into fabric by manipulating them, scanning them, oftentimes has to add or subtract things, and then we manufacture the fabric using only digital printing, which is very environmentally friendly, unlike traditional textile printing," Wright said.

Upholstering the furniture can take weeks of work. Shapiro looks for the perfect design for each piece and, if need be, uses Adobe Photoshop to extend the art work to fit or enhance the print.

"One of the most difficult parts comes in marrying the fabric to a piece of furniture because we only use antique and vintage frames also to be earth friendly, and they're also more beautiful and durable than new furniture," Wright said. "So the image has to go with the furniture, so that takes a lot of work."

One of Pryor & Peacock's missions is to be environmentally friendly. Digital printing doesn't use the same amount of water as traditional textile productions do nor does it contaminate water with ink according to their website.

Not only are they saving water, but they are saving furniture from going into the landfill while also using more durable furniture that doesn't break as easily as current pieces. They started their business to create something unique and to help the environment together.

"It's creating something nobody else is doing. People can't continue to buy throwaway furniture. Six percent of American landfills is furniture, and digital printing not only opens up the possibility of being able to put unique images on a piece of furniture, but it also is, as I said, environmentally friendly. So, for us, the excitement is to take an old East Lake settee that somebody's going to store in their barn and forget about, and make it something completely new and surprising," Wright said.

They hope their furniture helps bring a pop of fun to someone's home.

"We think our furniture is very whimsical and surprising, and most furniture today is oatmeal colored couches and gray neutral chairs, and it's boring," she said.

The two named their business after their mothers' maiden names to honor them and believe the name reflects their pieces.

Shapiro works in interior design outside of the business and the two liked working together and thought it would be great to start a business together. Shapiro says they can work well together and that her and her mother, Wright, has flipped houses before and have the same eye for design.

"So it's very easy for us to work together. When we see something, generally we agree on whether it works or doesn't work on a piece. We agree on the color schemes and that sort of thing. So it's very fun and fulfilling to work together," Shapiro said. 

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