Berkshire Bank Supports Projects with Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity

08:04AM / Saturday, June 04, 2022Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity (CBHFH) and Berkshire Bank announced plans for the 2022 Westside Xtraordinary Day this June 8, a day dedicated to community revitalization and volunteerism in the Westside neighborhood of Pittsfield.

"We are looking forward to once again holding our Xtraordinary Day in the communities we serve as it is a source of pride for our employees who are eager to make positive contributions," said Lori Gazzillo Kiely, Director of the Berkshire Bank Foundation. "We're proud to dedicate an entire afternoon to lifting up our communities through projects such as this neighborhood revitalization in partnership with Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity."

Berkshire Bank's Xtraordinary Day (X-Day) is held across five states – MA, NY, VT, CT, and RI, with branches and offices closing from 12pm - 4pm on June 8 for concurrent day of community service events.

In Pittsfield, the day brings together approximately 200 volunteers from Berkshire Bank to work alongside Westside neighbors, and Habitat for Humanity staff and volunteers as part of a day of service. Homeowners and renters within a concentrated work area benefit from a variety of home repair and landscaping options such as fence repair, small painting projects, power-washing, and application of house numbers. Some residents have opted to receive elevated garden planters with floral and vegetable plantings. Ultimately, the whole neighborhood benefits from this event with an increased sense of community and pride of ownership.

And this year, Habitat is distributing a number of donated Ring video doorbells including lifetime subscriptions to those residents who participate in the day's activities. Leading up to this event, for those residents that already had working doorbells installed, Habitat has been working with Taconic High School's CTE program Electricity Program to have junior year students do the installations throughout the neighborhood.

To add to the neighborhood esthetic, local artist and art teacher, Hope Aguilera and her students from Pittsfield High School will be designing and painting a community mural on the side of B&P Auto Supply's shop on Columbus Ave, directly next to a new Habitat construction build site on Robbins Ave.

"We are excited to be working with a group of young artists who will help us transform an ordinary brick wall into a positive vision of the neighborhood," Gazzillo said.

"Habitat is proud to bring people together to build homes, communities, and hope. We are thankful for the generous sponsorship and volunteer efforts of Berkshire Bank, neighborhood residents, and grassroots organizations that are working together on the revitalization efforts in the Westside," said CBHFH CEO Carolyn Valli.

Tags: habitat for humanity,

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Advocates Request Pittsfield Office of Neighborhood Safety

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:23AM / Monday, August 31, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Advocates want an office of neighborhood safety within the City of Pittsfield following a string of gun violence incidents this summer.

Last week, during a virtual meeting, the Pittsfield Freedom Project called for public health interventions, such as violence interrupters, hospital violence intervention, and a neighborhood trauma response team.

"I'm sure everyone is aware; there have been at least four shootings. I've heard from people in the community that there have been more than that, but these are the ones that have resulted in injuries," said filmmaker Jenny Herzog.

"Resulting in one homicide and at least seven injured over the last couple of months."

Recent shooting incidents in Pittsfield ranged from June 18, when a person died after being shot in the area of Tyler Street and Pleasure Avenue, and another person was injured, to August 18, when one person was injured after shots were fired on Circular Avenue.

Herzog produced the documentary "Hear Me," which explores the impact of poverty and gun violence on young people in Berkshire County. Attendees also heard from local advocate and fourth-generation Pittsfield resident Kamaar Taliaferro, CEO of the Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence Ruth Zakarin, and Ben Snyder, a sociology professor at Williams College.

"Here we are again in another cycle of gun violence, without the tools we need, seemingly without the will to demand the tools, and even if we did, without leadership that would even understand what we're asking for," Taliaferro said.

"And it's not like we don't have the resources to build what we need. At least $1.3 million has come into Pittsfield every year for the past six years, targeted to interrupt the cycle of gun and gang violence that we are in this moment. And dating back even further, Pittsfield has received gun violence prevention money and has received gang violence intervention money since like 2014. Since the last time there was this like emergent cycle of gun violence in our community."