Berkshire Bank Foundation Awards More Than $200,000 To County Nonprofits

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Berkshire Bank Foundation has awarded $202,416 in grants and pledges to 41 non-profit organizations in Berkshire County during its third quarter grants cycle.  

Some of the organizations receiving support include the Berkshire Museum, Berkshire Innovation Center, Pittsfield Public Schools, Literacy Network of Southern Berkshire, The Christian Center, Elder Services of Berkshire County, Elizabeth Freeman Center, Railroad Street Youth Project, the Dalton CRA and Construct Inc.

·  Berkshire Museum based in Pittsfield received a grant to support their educational programs for local schools.

·  Berkshire Innovation Center based in Pittsfield received a grant to support their internship incentive program, which will help businesses hire interns to work in important STEM fields with the goal of retaining them after college.

· Pittsfield Public Schools based in Pittsfield received a grant to support BRIDGE mentoring programs Happiness Toolbox.

· Literacy Network of Southern Berkshire based in Lee received a grant to support their new tutor training program.

· The Christian Center based in Pittsfield received a grant to support the WestSide Children’s Enrichment program.


· Elder Services of Berkshire County based in Pittsfield received a grant to support their Meals on Wheels program.

· Elizabeth Freeman Center based in Pittsfield  received a grant to support their annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event and Money School program.

· Railroad Street Youth Project based in Great Barrington received a grant to support their Railroad Street Apprenticeship program.

· Dalton CRA based in Dalton received a grant to support their CRA/DYC Youth programming.

· Construct, Inc. based in Great Barrington  received a grant to support The Project Home Collaborative.

“We are proud to support these non-profit organizations in the important work that they are doing to contribute to the economic and educational vitality of the communities that we serve," Lori Gazzillo, vice president and Foundation director. said. "We are proud to play a small role in all of their efforts and look forward to working together to make our communities stronger.”

In addition to financial support, the XTEAM, the Bank’s nationally acclaimed Employee Volunteer Program, provides employees with paid time off to volunteer during regular business hours. In 2014, over 70 percent of Berkshire Bank’s employees provided more than 40,000 hours of service to benefit community organizations across the bank’s service area. The volunteer program is another way for the bank to give back to the communities where it does business. In recognition of their work in the community, Berkshire Bank has received more than two dozen awards and accolades, most recently being named by the Boston Business Journal as one of Massachusetts Most Charitable Companies for the third consecutive year.


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Pittsfield 12-Year-Olds Win District 1 Little League Title

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires.com Sports
DALTON, Mass. – It took a total team effort for the Pittsfield Little League 12-year-old All-Stars to claim an 11-0 win over Adams-Cheshire in Wednesday’s Don Gleason District 1 Championship Game.
 
And that is exactly what it got as Shaun Boehm hit a pair of triples, and Carmelo Coco went 2-for-2 with a double and a pair of RBIs to help send Pittsfield into next week’s Section 1 tournament, one step away from the state tourney.
 
The defending champs collected 10 hits – just two of them came from the first four hitters in its 12-player lineup.
 
“I let these guys know, they’re not like any other team,” Adams-Cheshire coach Steve Albareda said of Pittsfield. “One through 12 against some other teams, when you get to [hitters] six, seven, eight – you’re going to get those guys out. Pittsfield, they’re one through 12 stacked.
 
“And I told them, OK, you get two, three, four out, whatever it is, six, seven, eight is gonna burn you if you don’t stay the course.”
 
Not that one through four can’t, mind you. But if pitchers do limit the damage at the top of the order – as Adams’s Lador Lawson and Maddox Milesi did on Wednesday night – a mine field awaits.
 
“The kids asked me today if there were any changes to the lineup, and I was sitting there and I was pondering,” Pittsfield coach Joe Skutnik said. “And I said, ‘You know what? We’ve been hitting the ball all tournament. Why would I change anything?’
 
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