Berkshire Community Diaper Project receives $10,000 grant from Gilson Family Foundation
Berkshire— Berkshire Community Diaper Project has reported receiving a $10,000 grant from Gilson Family Foundation.
The Project will be able to purchase nearly 60,000 diapers to distribute free to Berkshire families in need, continuing to answer the ever-increasing call for diapers for financially struggling families. These families have such limited means that they must decide whether to buy food or diapers, a difficult choice to make.
Since its inception in 2014 and with the help of 27 partnering agencies, the Diaper Project has provided more than 2.7 million free diapers to Berkshire County families. To learn more about the Berkshire Community Diaper Project, including where to find diapers or make a donation, visit www.berkshirecommunitydiaperproject.org.
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Berkshire Community College receives $133,000 TRAIN grant from Commonwealth for Commercial Driver’s License Training
Pittsfield— Berkshire Community College (BCC) is the recipient of a $132,825 Training Resources and Internships Network (TRAIN) grant from the Healey-Driscoll Administration.
The TRAIN grants provide essential training opportunities to unemployed and underemployed people across Massachusetts. Administered through 13 of the state’s public community colleges, the grant is designed to equip adult workers with the skills necessary to thrive in key industry sectors. BCC’s grant is earmarked for commercial driver’s license (CDL) training. Trained CDL drivers are in high demand in the Berkshires and beyond. According to an American Trucking Association survey, more than 400,000 new truck drivers are needed in the United States every year.
CDL training at BCC consists of a total of 40 hours of classroom, field, and on-the-road instruction. For more information, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/CDL. For more information, email workforce@berkshirecc.edu or call 413-236-2115.
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Considine Arnold & Schopp LLP, formally Considine Leary & Arnold LLP, welcomes law partners Haley Schopp and Adrienne Arnold
Lee— Considine Arnold & Schopp LLP, formally Considine Leary & Arnold LLP has welcomed Haley Schopp as a new partner specializing in real estate and land use, estate planning, and business law; and Adrienne Arnold, who joined the firm as a partner last year, specializing in real estate, probate, and estate planning.
Haley G. Schopp is a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College (B.A. 2017, Spanish & Government.) After spending a year at the Quinnipiac University School of Law, she graduated from the George Washington University Law School as a Thurgood Marshall Scholar (J.D. 2023). A native of Canaan, Connecticut, and licensed to practice in both the State of Connecticut and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Haley has worked in Berkshire County for years, first as a paralegal and now as a lawyer specializing in real estate, estate planning, zoning and permitting, and corporate work. In 2025, she became a partner at Considine Arnold & Schopp LLP, formally Considine Leary & Arnold LLP. She volunteers as a language tutor with the Literacy Network of South Berkshire, and has experience tutoring young refugees with language skills and academics. She is a member of the Berkshire County and Massachusetts Bar Associations.
Adrienne L. Arnold is a graduate of Boston University (B.A. 2011, Latin Honors) and the University of Houston Law Center (J.D. 2017, Houston Law Review.) Licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, she has worked in Berkshire County since 2019, specializing in real estate law. In 2024, she became a partner in the new law firm, Considine Arnold & Schopp LLP, formally Considine Leary & Arnold LLP. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, the Real Estate Committee for Construct Inc. and the Fairview Hospital. She is a member of the Berkshire County and Massachusetts Bar Associations.
Both Schopp and Arnold are fluent in Spanish. More information at www.49mainlaw.com.
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Lenox Public Schools aligns Pre-K schedule with Morris Elementary to better support families
Lenox— Lenox Public Schools will align the Pre-K schedule with the Morris Elementary School day, providing families one unified drop-off and pick-up window for all their children in grades Pre-K through fifth.
Pre-K students at Morris Elementary will attend classes from 8:40 a.m. to 3:10 p.m., eliminating the staggered start and end times that often forced parents to make multiple trips or rely on outside childcare. The change is designed to support Lenox resident families as well as pre-existing School Choice families, many of whom travel from neighboring towns and have been juggling the mismatched schedule. Additionally, families with older children already enrolled through School Choice will be, for the first time, offered any remaining Pre-K seats following the Lenox resident registration process.
A Pre-K Informational Night is scheduled for February 12th from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. for families who wish to learn more.
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Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation Local Farmer Awards application opens
Berkshire— Farmers in Western Massachusetts are invited to apply for the 12th year of the Local Farmer Awards, which provide grants of up to $2,500 to support critical capital improvement projects on local farms.
The awards help farmers invest in equipment and infrastructure related to planting, growing, harvesting, and processing—tools that strengthen farm operations, improve efficiency, and enhance competitiveness in the marketplace. Past awards have enabled farmers to make meaningful upgrades such as installing irrigation systems, purchasing no-till and cultivation equipment, improving fencing and livestock infrastructure, upgrading wash and pack station, and expanding milk storage and bottling capacity.
The Local Farmer Awards is a program of the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation (HGCF), in partnership with Big Y, the Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture, the Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation, and other generous funders. Now in its 12th year, the program has supported more than 320 farmers and funded 788 projects across the region.
To be eligible, farms must be located in Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, or Berkshire County and have gross annual farm sales of at least $10,000. A full list of eligibility requirements and application details is available at www.farmerawards.org. The application period closes on January 31st.
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Berkshire Community College presents ‘Artificial Intelligence for Marketing,’ the next session in BCC’s State of Work Summit Signature Series
Pittsfield— On February 3rd from 9 a.m. to noon, Berkshire Community College presents “Artificial Intelligence for Marketing,” the next session in BCC’s State of Work Summit Signature Series.
What would change if you felt truly confident using AI in your marketing? At our last Berkshire State of Work Summit, 91% of attendees said they left feeling more confident about AI. BCC is bringing that same momentum to AI for Marketing, built for marketers who want clarity, confidence, and real-world tools they can use immediately.
This hands-on, three-part workshop is designed for content creators, small business owners, communications professionals, and emerging marketers who want to move beyond experimentation and start working smarter with AI. To register, visit https://www.berkshirecc.edu/academics/community-education-and-workforce-development/workforce/summit.php.
