Berkshire Bank Foundation 2008 Donations Report
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Local recipients in the 4th Quarter included: included the Barrington Stage Company, Berkshire Children and Families, Berkshire Community College Foundation, Berkshire County Regional Housing Authority, Berkshire Creative Assets for Artists, Center for Ecological Technology, Goodwill Industries, Dalton CRA, Dalton Youth Center, Pittsfield Beautiful, Inc., Storefront Artist Project, St. Joseph High School, Berkshire Pulse, Berkshire South Community Center, Great Barrington Historical Society, IS183 Art School, Southern Berkshire Transportation Corporation and a number of other organizations.
The Bank’s three foundations awarded a total of $1,105,467 in 2008 in all the regions the Bank does business in. It expects to award a similar amount in 2009. In addition, the Foundation started an Employee Volunteer Program in 2008 that carries out group work projects for non-profit organizations. In 2008, it conducted three large work projects at the Christian Center, the Eleanor Sonsini Animal Shelter and Construct, Inc. and sponsored a company-wide food drive that collected more than 4 tons of food that was donated to local food banks and pantries.
The Berkshire Bank Foundation is one of three charitable foundations affiliated with Berkshire Bank. The others are the Berkshire Bank Foundation – Pioneer Valley serving communities in the Pioneer Valley and the Greater Berkshire Foundation serving communities in the Albany region and Southern Vermont. These are permanent charitable endowments with a mission of enhancing the quality of life in Berkshire Bank’s service area. Since 2000, the three foundations have awarded more than $7.3 million to non-profit organizations in Berkshire County and $13.4 million in all regions.
Berkshire Hills Bancorp is headquartered in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It has $2.7 billion in assets and is the parent of Berkshire Bank - America's Most Exciting BankSM. The Company provides personal and business banking, insurance, wealth management, and investment services through 48 financial centers in western Massachusetts, northeastern New York, and southern Vermont. Berkshire Bank provides 100% deposit insurance protection, regardless of amount, based on a combination of FDIC insurance and the Depositors Insurance Fund (DIF). For more information, visit www.berkshirebank.com or call 800-773-5601.
Berkshire Bank Foundation-Pioneer Valley 2008 Donations Report
PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Berkshire Bank Foundation-Pioneer Valley, funded with a donation from Berkshire Bank, announced today it awarded a total of $391,240 in grants to 64 non-profit organizations in the Pioneer Valley in 2008. While its funding priorities were education and community development projects, the Foundation also donated to numerous human service, youth, civic and cultural organizations. In the 4th Quarter it focused its giving on non-profit organizations that provided emergency food, fuel and shelter to those in need in this difficult economy. In order to be eligible for a grant, non-profit organizations must be located in or serve residents of communities in which Berkshire Bank does business.
Recipient organizations in 2008 included: Westfield State College (As Schools Match Wits), Cancer House of Hope, Springfield Technical Community College, Boys & Girls Clubs of Westfield, Ludlow and Chicopee, Westfield High School Science Fair, Noble Hospital (Building Bridges Program), Friends of the Homeless, Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen, Open Pantry Community Services, The Salvation Army of Springfield, Square One, Valley Opportunity Council, The Gray House, Southwick Family Support Center, Gr. Springfield Habitat for Humanity, Hilltown CDC, Westfield on Weekends, Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and numerous others.
The Bank’s three foundations awarded a total of $1,105,467 in 2008 in all the regions the Bank does business in. It expects to award a similar amount in 2009. In addition, the Foundation started an Employee Volunteer Program in 2008 that carries out group work projects for non-profit organizations. In 2008, it conducted a large landscaping project at Westfield YMCA’s Camp Shepard with 20 employees participating and sponsored a company-wide food drive that collected more than 4 tons of food that was donated to local food banks and pantries.
The Berkshire Bank Foundation-Pioneer Valley is one of three charitable foundations affiliated with Berkshire Bank. The others are the Berkshire Bank Foundation serving communities in Berkshire County and the Greater Berkshire Foundation serving communities in the Albany region and Southern Vermont. These are permanent charitable endowments with a mission of enhancing the quality of life in Berkshire Bank’s service area. Since 2000, the three foundations have awarded more than $13 million to non-profit organizations in all regions.
Berkshire Hills Bancorp is headquartered in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It has $2.7 billion in assets and is the parent of Berkshire Bank - America's Most Exciting BankSM. The Company provides personal and business banking, insurance, wealth management, and investment services through 48 financial centers in western Massachusetts, northeastern New York, and southern Vermont. Berkshire Bank provides 100% deposit insurance protection, regardless of amount, based on a combination of FDIC insurance and the Depositors Insurance Fund (DIF). For more information, visit www.berkshirebank.com or call 800-773-5601.
