Nutritionist Michelle Sisk Joins CHP

Print Story | Email Story
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Community Health Programs (CHP) Berkshires welcomes to its nutrition team Michelle R. Sisk, RDN, LDN, CDN.  
 
In her new role, Sisk will work primarily as a culinary nutritionist with the CHP Nutrition Club, which provides nutrition services to patients of Berkshire Fallon Health Collaborative (MassHealth). She will counsel patients mainly through telehealth, and will also lead culinary nutrition and education programs.  
 
A graduate of Marymount College of Fordham University, Sisk holds a bachelor of science degree in nutrition, and she completed her dietetic internship at the University of Connecticut and Hartford Hospital. She also earned a bachelor of arts degree in English from William College, and she holds a certification in adult weight management.  
 
In addition to her work at CHP, Sisk is a nutritional counselor at Millbrook School in Millbrook, N.Y. and Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Conn. She also designed and taught an elementary school nutrition curriculum at Salisbury Central School in Lakeville, and she has also provided private in-home nutritional counseling to patients. She also worked as an outpatient dietitian affiliated with Manchester Memorial Hospital in Connecticut and has worked as a yoga instructor, cross-country coach, and English teacher.  
 
Sisk is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Connecticut Dietetic Association.  
 
She serves on the Wellness Committee of Salisbury Central School, creating and presenting nutrition education programs for elementary students. Yoga, hiking with her family and kids, baking, and cooking are among her personal interests. 
 
Community Health Programs, Inc., is a healthcare network based in the Berkshires of Western Mass. serving approximately 30,000 regional residents with comprehensive medical and dental services at multiple practice locations. CHP Family Services provides a range of support, parent education and resources to families. CHP accepts most forms of private and public health insurance and offers sliding fees for qualifying patients. CHP is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.

Tags: CHP,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Pryor & Peacock's Whimsical Furniture Environmentally Friendly

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
 

The company uses digital printing to create the upholstery fabric, saving water and saving vintage furniture from ending up in landfills.

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — A unique furniture store has popped up on Elm Street this month.

Mom-and-daughter store Pryor & Peacock is hosting the pop-up storefront from Aug. 13 to Aug. 25 at 6 Elm. The New Marlborough business is co-founded by Rosalina Wright and Luca Shapiro, who is also the creative director. 

Their online shop was created in 2024 but they wanted people to see the pieces in person, so they're renting the space for a limited time before a long-term tenant moves in.

The store sources prints to create unique fabrics and reimagines vintage and antique furniture acquired at auctions, local shops, and online.

"We source prints from all over the world that date from the late 1600s up through mid-20th century, and Luca turns those prints into fabric by manipulating them, scanning them, oftentimes has to add or subtract things, and then we manufacture the fabric using only digital printing, which is very environmentally friendly, unlike traditional textile printing," Wright said.

Upholstering the furniture can take weeks of work. Shapiro looks for the perfect design for each piece and, if need be, uses Adobe Photoshop to extend the art work to fit or enhance the print.

"One of the most difficult parts comes in marrying the fabric to a piece of furniture because we only use antique and vintage frames also to be earth friendly, and they're also more beautiful and durable than new furniture," Wright said. "So the image has to go with the furniture, so that takes a lot of work."

One of Pryor & Peacock's missions is to be environmentally friendly. Digital printing doesn't use the same amount of water as traditional textile productions do nor does it contaminate water with ink according to their website.

Not only are they saving water, but they are saving furniture from going into the landfill while also using more durable furniture that doesn't break as easily as current pieces. They started their business to create something unique and to help the environment together.

"It's creating something nobody else is doing. People can't continue to buy throwaway furniture. Six percent of American landfills is furniture, and digital printing not only opens up the possibility of being able to put unique images on a piece of furniture, but it also is, as I said, environmentally friendly. So, for us, the excitement is to take an old East Lake settee that somebody's going to store in their barn and forget about, and make it something completely new and surprising," Wright said.

They hope their furniture helps bring a pop of fun to someone's home.

"We think our furniture is very whimsical and surprising, and most furniture today is oatmeal colored couches and gray neutral chairs, and it's boring," she said.

The two named their business after their mothers' maiden names to honor them and believe the name reflects their pieces.

Shapiro works in interior design outside of the business and the two liked working together and thought it would be great to start a business together. Shapiro says they can work well together and that her and her mother, Wright, has flipped houses before and have the same eye for design.

"So it's very easy for us to work together. When we see something, generally we agree on whether it works or doesn't work on a piece. We agree on the color schemes and that sort of thing. So it's very fun and fulfilling to work together," Shapiro said. 

View Full Story

More South Berkshire Stories