Goodwill job coach Hector Fuentes at the Popcorn Wagon in front of Berkshire Bank on North Street. The bank collaborates with local nonprofits to use the iconic wagon, in this case for training Goodwill's supportive employees. Its hours are now 9 to 3 weekdays.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Bank's popcorn wagon has become a city icon over the past century.
In its latest incarnation, it's become an integral part of Goodwill's spring and summer Retail Training Program.
The antique wagon was built in 1906 and brought to Pittsfield from South Dakota in 1909 by Berkshire County resident Daniel "Stuffy" McGinnis.
Over the years, the wagon has gone through several owners and changes including being converted from a steam-powered popcorn popper to an electric one in the 1970s. More on the wagon's history here.
The bank, then Berkshire County Savings, had arranged with the last owner to use the wagon as a symbol and it was parked outside the bank's former home on Park Square. Berkshire Bank purchased it in 2003 and the Berkshire Bank Foundation has collaborated with local social service agencies to allowed the wagon to be used for fundraising purposes.
For the last two years, the wagon (now parked in front Berkshire Bank's North Street headquarters) has been utilized to help train the nonprofits' supportive employees, Vice President of Mission Services Kathy Anker said. A supportive employee is a client of the state Department of Developmental Disabilities.
The Goodwill Industries of the Berkshires and Southern Vermont hires clients of the state agency to work in warehouses and stores in Pittsfield, giving them a chance to demonstrate their customer service skills and learn other skills like cash handling.
The nonprofit recently expanded this program, from eight participants last year to 18 this year. In addition, it has expanded the wagon's hours to Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.
"We're trying to give these participants more knowledge and customer service and more training in adapting to the world," job coach Hector Fuentes said, adding that seeing the supportive employees' growth and how they blossom like a flower makes his job worth it.
Some supportive employees have a hard time counting cash or have trouble interacting with others because of anxiety but job coaches, like Fuentes, help them so they can move forward.
"It's a historic popcorn wagon and not only that but we're giving back to the community by giving these participants an opportunity to deal with customers, deal with money … that's how we give back and we're just trying to teach them so they can move forward," he said.
The opportunities the program provides also helps relieve the misconceptions that some have regarding individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities, Anker said.
Community members have been very patient and willing to help people who are trying to learn, Fuentes said.
"It gives the community your chance to see that people with different abilities can be successful, can understand customer service, and are capable of running a business," Anker said. "…and I think it gives the community the opportunity to learn more about what Goodwill does, because sometimes I think it's the best kept secret in Berkshire County."
Goodwill offers a variety of services and programs to help job seekers receive training and to help people get back on their feet including employability programs and its nationally recognized programs for customer service training, custodial training.
Goodwill's *SOAR for Success Program "provides skills training for people looking to enter the world of employment, or reentering from incarceration, recovery programs, giving people a chance to get their lives back together or just get their lives off the ground," Anker said.
The nonprofit has also been known to help individuals leaving a domestic violence situation by giving them Goodwill gift cards to be used to buy clothes or furniture.
More information on Goodwill's programs here or contact Mission Services at 413-442-0061, Ext. 14.
*SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery is a program through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that helps communities and nonprofit organizations increase access to Social Security Income and Disability Insurance benefits for individuals with substance abuse issues, mental or medical impairment and risk for homelessness.
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Belchertown Stops Pittsfield Post 68
By Stephen DravisiBerkshires.com Sports
PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Belchertown Post 239’s Cooper Beckwith set the tone when he crushed the game’s first pitch to left-center field for a double.
The visitors went on to pound out 14 more hits in a 9-1 win over Pittsfield Post 68 in American Legion Baseball action at Buddy Pellerin Field on Monday night.
Beckwith went 3-for-4 with an RBI and scored twice, and Chase Earle went five innings on the mound without allowing an earned run as Post 239 improved to 15-0 this summer and completed a regular-season sweep of Post 68 (12-4).
“He’s a good pitcher,” Post 68 coach Rick Amuso said. “Good velo[city], kept the ball down. We didn’t respond.”
Pittsfield did manage to scratch out a run in the bottom of the fourth inning, when it already trailed, 7-0.
Nick Brindle reached on an error to start the inning. He moved up on a single by Jack Reed (2-for-2) and scored on a single to left by Cam Zerbato.
That was half the hits allowed by Earle, who struck out three before giving the ball to Alex West, who gave up a leadoff walk in the sixth and retired the next six batters he faced.
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