1.5 Million Meals Donated to Food Banks from Big Y

Print Story | Email Story
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Big Y's annual Sack Hunger campaign provides funds for the four food banks within their 2 state marketing area. 
 
In turn, these food banks support local soup kitchens, food pantries, senior food programs, daycare centers and many others of the 2,100 member agencies that they help every day. Their goal is to maximize access to nutritious food and other resources that support food security for those at risk of hunger.
 
For $5, customers supported Sack Hunger at Big Y's 72 supermarkets or Table & Vine Fine Wines and Liquors. Every $5 donation brings 10 meals to those in need of support.
 
Big Y's Sack Hunger campaign started in 2010 where 740 meals were donated. With this year's 1.5 million meals, the program continues to grow in support of those in need.
 
"We appreciate the generosity of our customers and employees in helping us to support our friends and neighbors. And, we are grateful to our partnerships with our four area food banks for their tireless efforts in serving those most vulnerable in our communities. Being able to provide another 1.5 million meals through our Sack Hunger program helps us to fulfill our mission to feed families," said Big Y president and CEO, Charles L. D'Amour. 
 
Big Y's Sack Hunger donation is part of their ongoing support throughout the year including almost daily donations of meat, fresh produce and bakery along with grocery, frozen food and dairy items.
 
The four regional food banks are the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, the Worcester County Food Bank, the Greater Boston Food Bank in Massachusetts, and the Connecticut Foodshare.

Tags: big y,   

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

Pittsfield Looks to Update Zoning for ADUs

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Accessory dwelling units will be by-right in early 2025 and the city wants to be prepared.

On Tuesday, the Community Development Board voted to become the petitioner for amendments to the City Code that reflect the new ADU legislation. City Planner Kevin Rayner has crafted a draft ordinance that the board will dig into before it goes to the City Council.

As a part of the $4.1 billion Affordable Homes Act signed into law over the summer, ADUs up to 900 square feet can be built by right in single-family zoning districts.

"This legislation will go into effect February 2, 2025, so we're trying to get our ordinance to accommodate ADUs by that point," Rayner said.

"Our ordinance wasn't prohibitive against accessory dwelling units, but we do need to up our dimensional requirements to kind of accommodate for them as they are, sort of like an accessory structure, in a way but they have some different requirements because they are being used as a dwelling."

The city plans to allow ADUs in a one- to two-family residential use, allowing for duplexes that meet other requirements to have one.

Most of the amendments will take place in Article 23 Section 9.101, which outlines restrictions for accessory buildings.  

"They're mostly dimensional. We're going to make it so that maybe you can't take up more than 20 percent of the lot coverage," Rayner said.

View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories