Northern Berkshire United Way Names Co-Chairs For 2012-13

12:38PM / Tuesday, September 11, 2012Print Story | Email Story

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The North Berkshire United Way will kick off its annual campaign drive on this month with the traditional breakfast meeting and the introduction of this year's campaign chairman.

The co-chairman for 2012-13 are Osmin F. Alvarez, president and chief executive officer of Boxcar Media LLC, and Robert G. Abel, president and CEO of True North Financial Services.

"I am so pleased and excited that Ozzie and Rob have taken on the leadership role in our campaign," said Joseph W. McGovern, executive director of Northern Berkshire United Way. "I look forward to working with community leaders that have years of experience of making a difference in the lives of people in Northern Berkshire County."

Alvarez and Abel have been involved in the Northern Berkshire United way for many years.

Alvarez operates a number of local and national Internet-related properties, and is the publisher of iBerkshires.com and its related sites.

He founded PRG Inc., an aggregator of market research reports, in 1992 and sold it to a venture capital firm in 2000. Boxcar was founded in 2000 and includes BerkshireJobs.com. Boxcar Media is also the majority interest holder in Raceway Media LLC and TruMedia Networks, which has properties with MLB teams, NFL teams and media outlets like ESPN as customers.

Alvarez has served on a number of local boards including the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, Berkshire Economic Development Corp., Pittsfield Economic Development Authority and Northern Berkshire Healthcare.

He resides in Williamstown with his wife, Monica, and their three children, Kyle, Gabriella and Emily.

Abel is a 1991 graduate of Williams College, where he was a two-year captain of the hockey team. He played professional hockey for two years with the Whitley Bay Warriors of the Heineken Premiere League in England, then coached at the University of New Hampshire, American International College, Dartmouth College and Brown University.

He joined UBS-PaineWebber in Albany, N.Y., and True North Financial Services in 2002, he said, to provide more objective financial solutions to his clients. He was named manager of Williamstown operations; in 2009, he was named vice president of investment services and, in 2011, was promoted to president and CEO.

Abel provides investment, financial planning and life insurance services, while specializing in retirement plan advising and asset management for individuals, trusts, endowments and not-for-profit organizations.

He resides in Williamstown with his wife, Christy, and their three children, Cam, Ainsley and Addison.

"I could not be happier to have Ozzie and Rob at the helm for the upcoming campaign," said Thomas Rumbolt, president of the NBUW board of directors. "Their dedication to the community is inspiring to all of the volunteers who work so hard to make each year a success."

The campaign will begins with the Northern Berkshire United Way annual meeting and celebration breakfast to be held Friday, Sept. 28, at 7:45 a.m. at the Williams Inn.

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St. Stan's Students Spread Holiday Cheer at Williamstown Commons

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
12:50PM / Sunday, December 21, 2025

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Students from St. Stanislaus Kostka School in Adams brought the holiday spirit to Williamstown Commons on Thursday, delivering handmade Christmas cards and leading residents in a community caroling session.

"It honestly means the world to us because it means the world to them," said nursing home Administrator Alex Fox on Thursday morning. "This made their days. This could have even made their weeks. It could have made their Christmas, seeing the children and interacting with the community."

Teacher Kate Mendonca said this is the first year her class has visited the facility, noting that the initiative was driven entirely by the students.

"This came from the kids. They said they wanted to create something and give back," Mendonca said. "We want our students involved in the community instead of just reading from a religion book."

Preparation for the event began in early December, with students crafting bells to accompany their singing. The handmade cards were completed last week.

"It's important for them to know that it's not just about them during Christmas," Mendonca said. "It's about everyone, for sure. I hope that they know they really helped a lot of people today and hopefully it brought joy to the residents here."

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