Berkshire Money Management Donates $25K in Food to Thanksgiving Angels

Harris puts in manual labor to bring the produce and other foods into South Congregational Church.

 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — About 1,600 local families will have turkey day feasts on the table thanks to a collaboration between Berkshire Money Management and the Thanksgiving Angels.

On Friday, BMM presented the organization with a big $25,000 check, doubling its fundraising efforts during a year of increased need. The funds are a match to what the organization was able to gather.

"The Thanksgiving Angels needed roughly $50,000 this year to supply the amount of food for people who are in need this year, and I figured it would be really hard for them to do it this year because it's going to be harder to attain that food because of food prices, and that's going to reduce people's disposable income," founder and CEO Allen Harris said.

"So we thought that what we do is approach the Thanksgiving Angels since and say, 'we'll donate $25,000 as a matching campaign, what we would like to do is keep as much as we can of that local, so if you can match it $25,000, I'll give this $25,000 and Wohrle's will supply that food.'"

Thanksgiving Angels is a joint effort between more than 20 food pantries, organizations, and faith communities that provide turkeys and all of the sides to residents in need.

The food was sourced from Wohrle's, filling up two whole box trucks. Volunteers were buzzing around the South Congregational Church's supply room, unloading the mass quantities of carrots, onions, potatoes, squash, and more.

Program coordinator Mary Wheat was astonished by the amount of food that was coming in. Wheat also runs the church's regular food pantry.

"It's a very very generous donation," she said, "It made it possible for 1,600 families to have a nutritious Thanksgiving."

Dalton Board Signs Off on Land Sale Over Residents' Objections

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:50AM / Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Residents demanded the right to speak but the agenda did not include public comment. Amy Musante holds a sign saying the town now as '$20,000 less for a police station.'

DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board signed the sale on the last of what had been known as the Bardin property Monday even as a handful of residents demanded the right to speak against the action. 

 

The quitclaim deed transfers the nine acres to Thomas and Esther Balardini, who purchased the two other parcels in Dalton. They were the third-highest bidders at $31,500. Despite this, the board awarded them the land in an effort to keep the property intact.

 

"It's going to be an ongoing battle but one I think that has to be fought [because of] the disregard for the taxpayers," said Dicken Crane, the high bidder at $51,510.

 

"If it was personal I would let it go, but this affects everyone and backing down is not in my nature." 

 

Crane had appealed to the board to accept his bid during two previous meetings. He and others opposed to accepting the lower bid say it cost the town $20,000. After the meeting, Crane said he will be filing a lawsuit and has a citizen's petition for the next town meeting with over 100 signatures. 

 

Three members of the board — Chair Robert Bishop Jr., John Boyle, and Marc Strout — attended the 10-minute meeting. Members Anthony Pagliarulo and Daniel Esko previously expressed their disapproval of the sale to the Balardinis. 

 

Pagliarulo voted against the sale but did sign the purchase-and-sale agreement earlier this month. His reasoning was the explanation by the town attorney during an executive session that, unlike procurement, where the board is required to accept the lowest bid for services, it does have some discretion when it comes to accepting bids in this instance.