The residents were treated to makeup and their hair styled.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Betty Sacco doesn't get all dolled up much anymore.
The senior citizen lives at Mount Greylock Extended Care Facility and doesn't get her hair and makeup done very often.
But on Wednesday, she was styling.
Sacco is one of two dozen residents who got all dressed up to take "glamour shots."
"I love it because it is dressing up, you don't do this every day," Sacco said. "They do a good job. They really know what they are doing. There are no complaints here."
Sacco had just sat down with Pam Ellis, who carefully applied makeup. And then she moved to Hope Fontaine, who did her hair. And finally, with a prop rose in her hand and a jaunty hat, she posed as Shavonn Melendez took a number of photos.
Melendez will edit the pictures, provide copies to Sacco's family, and create a display in the nursing home hallway.
"You're in a nursing home and you don't like getting your photo taken. You don't always feel glamorous. This just gives them a chance to feel beautiful and get individual attention," Melendez, director of admissions and marketing, said.
The glamour shots are just one of the activities Mount Greylock provides for its residents. Fontaine, the activities director, said it stemmed from an activities council meeting in which one of the residents brought in glamour shots she had taken in the 1980s. And the council thought it would be a fun idea.
"We try to provide activities for the residents that are fun, dignified, person-centered care," Fontaine said.
And it has been well received. For hours on Wednesday, the residents came to a common area for the event. And Fontaine expects families to be asking for the photos by the end of the day.
"The families love it. They'll start emailing me by the end of the day saying 'can I have my copy?'" Fontaine said.
Fontaine said the program, which has been done three times, has quickly become one of the most popular among the women at Mount Greylock. The residents keep coming back — Sacco hasn't missed one yet — and there are always new faces.
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BVNA Nurses Raise Funds for Berkshire Bounty
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Massachusetts Nursing Association members of the Berkshire Visiting Nurses Association raised $650 to help with food insecurity in Berkshire County.
The nurses and health-care professionals of BVNA have given back to the community every holiday season for the last three years. The first year, they adopted a large family, raised money, bought, wrapped and delivered the gifts for the family. Last year, they sold raffle tickets and the money raised went to the charitable cause of the winner.
This year, with food insecurity as a rising issue, they chose to give to Berkshire Bounty in Great Barrington.
They sold raffle tickets for a drawing to win one of two items: A lottery ticket tree or a gift certificate tree, each worth $100. They will be giving the organization the donation this month.
Berkshire Bounty seeks to improve food security in the county through food donations from retailers and local farms; supplemental purchases of healthy foods; distribution to food sites and home deliveries; and collaborating with partners to address emergencies and improve the food system.
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