COVID-19 Fund Partners Award Grants to 'Help the Helpers'

12:44PM / Monday, April 11, 2022Print Story | Email Story

A Becket Athenaeum staff member reads to children. The Athenaeum was one of 23 organizations to receive funding

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire United Way, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, Northern Berkshire United Way, and Williamstown Community Chest agreed to Help the Helpers with grants from the Berkshire County COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund.

“These Help the Helpers grants will ensure that over 380 frontline professionals in nonprofits across Berkshire County are seen, appreciated, and celebrated,” said Berkshire United Way President and CEO Tom Bernard. “The proposals we received were well thought out and focused on the unique needs of each organization and team. I’m grateful to our partners who stepped up and recognized the value and impact of each proposal we received.”

Local nonprofits were invited to apply for 16 grants of $500 each to be used toward staff well-being activities. After seeing 23 applications come in, the partners stepped up to fund the gap and award grants for all 23 proposals, ranging from projects focused on team building and staff recognition to wellness and other activities.

In total $11,500 was given out. Click here to see how the grants are being used.

Earlier this year, Berkshire United Way and Northern Berkshire United Way awarded eight childcare programs $500 each to show appreciation for their staff, thanks to funding from United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley through the Childcare Relief Fund.

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Dalton Capital Planning Committee Members Selected

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
12:57PM / Wednesday, January 21, 2026

DALTON, Mass. — The members of the town's Capital Planning Committee have been selected.

In December, the Attorney General's Office approved the Capital Planning Committee bylaw that was approved by voters at the annual town meeting last May, Town Manager Eric Anderson said last week.

The bylaw creates the committee, outlines membership, appointment and term, and highlights the committee's duties, which is to prepare a Capital Improvement Plan financing plan with a five-year forecast of revenues and expenses.

The members of the committee are Karen Schmidt and Tom Irwin, representatives of the Finance Committee, and Dennis Croughwell, a representative of the Planning Board. Anderson accepted the Finance and Planning Board's selections for the committee.

Also serving on the committee is Town Planner Janko Tomasic, and Lee Nunez, principal assessor.

Temporarily serving until the town hires a new town accountant and finance director will be Sandra Albano, who retired in October but has stayed on in the role until a replacement can be found.

Anderson appointed the at-large committee members as Daniel Esko, to ensure a Select Board member is involved, and the town's former town manager Kenneth Walto, because of his 19-year experience in the town manager position.

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