Berkshire Roots launches “Gardening with Mary Jane” apparel line celebrating women and moms in the cannabis community
Pittsfield— In a bold move to celebrate and support women and mothers in the cannabis space, Berkshire Roots is proud to introduce its “Gardening with Mary Jane” apparel line. This unique collection is designed to empower women to express their love for cannabis freely, breaking down the stigmas they face, particularly around motherhood.
Recognizing the nuanced role of cannabis in promoting wellness and relaxation, Berkshire Roots has crafted an apparel line that speaks directly to women and moms. The “Gardening with Mary Jane” collection features stylish, comfortable, and discreet clothing options that allow women to showcase their cannabis enthusiasm in a tasteful and empowered manner.
“Gardening” is a cheeky code word for smoking weed. It’s like saying you’re tending to your personal garden of relaxation and good vibes. So when someone mentions they are into “gardening,” you know that they are nurturing their own little haven of chill.
“The ‘Gardening with Mary Jane’ line is close to our heart,” says Kaitlyn Pierce and Brittany Pufahl, Marketing Managers at Berkshire Roots. “We’ve seen firsthand the challenges women, especially moms, face in the cannabis community. Through this collection, we aim to honor their journey, offering a way to embrace and express their cannabis lifestyle with pride and without judgment.”
For more information about the “Gardening with Mary Jane” apparel line and to explore the collection, please visit https://berkshireroots.com/gardening/.
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The Blackshires Community Empowerment Foundation launches Blackshires Leadership Accelerator Program
Pittsfield— The Blackshires Community Empowerment Foundation is proud to announce the launch of the Blackshires Leadership Accelerator, a program designed to support and empower the Black community in the Berkshires and surrounding areas. This program offers Black community members the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, receive support, training, and resources, and take their leadership skills to the next level.
The Blackshires Leadership Accelerator is a 12-week program that provides community-based training, cohort support, leadership development, business development networking opportunities, and a stipend of $1,700. The program begins with a retreat at the beautiful Kripalu Center. Participants will join a group of like-minded individuals on a journey of personal and professional growth.
The program aims to change this by fostering a more equitable and collaborative approach to Black community-based talent development and leadership. By connecting individuals with similar talent and drive, the Blackshires Leadership program aims to create a more robust and shared talent pool that can scale community-based advocacy, business and entrepreneurship development, and municipality-based service.
The goals of the Blackshires Leadership Accelerator are to open a pipeline for Black community members who want to improve their community by providing support for the growth of skills and capacity, build and empower a network of community leaders to collaborate and cooperate around community-based projects, and provide tools and resources that will assist Black community members who are interested in serving on nonprofit boards.
For more information on the Blackshires Leadership Accelerator, please visit https://blackshires.net/leadership/.
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Four Lenox Memorial Middle High School students graduate from Certified Nursing Assistant program
Lenox— Principal Jeremiah Ames is delighted to share that four Lenox Memorial Middle High School students recently graduated from the school’s Certified Nursing Assistant program, held in partnership with the MassHire Berkshire Career Center.
Lenox juniors Hannah Hart and Mia Pigot, along with seniors Marlene Valero and Amber Arseneau completed the program, as part of the 11-student cohort.
The CNA program is offered to students as part of Lenox’s Health Care Pathway, which is designed to provide technical and advanced coursework paired with work-based learning experiences, equipping students with credentials or certifications for immediate and sustainable employment or continued education.
For one of last year’s graduates, Owen O’Brien-Harvey, Lenox’s CNA and pipeline programs allowed him to further his career while pursuing higher education free of cost.
“After applying to the CNA program, I realized very quickly that this was something I wanted to pursue further. After passing the CNA exam, I met with Integritus Healthcare at an LMMHS career fair, who not only offered me a full-time job as a CNA but also agreed to provide me with a scholarship to further my education and career in nursing,” O’Brien-Harvey shared. “This program has made such a strong impact on my life and where I now see it headed. Ms. Romeo and Ms. Murray went above and beyond to help me access all available resources, and it was nice to know that there was such strong support. This opened up a pathway to college that I wasn’t previously exploring, and I am thankful for that.”
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1Berkshire launches a Berkshire campaign in New York City’s Grand Central Station
Berkshires— 1Berkshire is happy to announce that as part of The Official Berkshire Marketing Plan for FY24, it will bring the Berkshires to New York City’s Grand Central Station (one of the busiest transit hubs in the country) for a month. Back in the mid 2000s, a campaign of this magnitude was done in Boston, and was a great success. The intent of this branding campaign is to give Manhattanites a pause and to encourage a respite in the Berkshires. The campaign does not end there though – it will continue through late spring in the form of a digital retargeting wrap-around campaign and into the summer.
“The campaign (is) three large visually impactful triptychs with four sets of Berkshire imagery rotating through, along with three large single boards with six sets of imagery in rotation,” said Lindsey Schmid, SVP of Tourism and Marketing for 1Berkshire. “By having this campaign run in the station for a month, the commuters will be able to see Berkshire imagery time and time again, with a variety of locations and seasons. This is done to instill a Berkshire wanderlust, which we hope will make the viewers of the campaign into actual Berkshire visitors.”
The theme of this campaign is “Soar, Restore, and Explore in the Berkshires.” The idea of running this thematic campaign in the spring is to make New Yorkers aware that the Berkshires is not just a summer and fall destination, so as to entice visitation in the shoulder seasons.
The campaign will run early March through early June and include inspirational Berkshire imagery, plus a dedicated landing page on berkshires.org (the official Berkshire tourism site, managed by 1Berkshire,) along with a digital retargeting and look-alike campaign. It is set to garner over 14.5 million impressions.
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Independent Connections expands local presence in downtown Pittsfield
Pittsfield— Independent Connections (INDYCONN), a leading IT solutions company in the Berkshires, is pleased to announce the grand opening of their Pittsfield office. The new building will serve as the company’s Massachusetts branch and will house its growing team of skilled professionals dedicated to providing innovative technology solutions to businesses across the region.
The grand opening will take place on March 14th from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at 579 Fenn Street in Pittsfield. The event will feature a ribbon cutting ceremony, tours of the new facility, refreshments, and networking opportunities with industry professionals, local business leaders, and City officials.
“I couldn’t be more excited about Indy’s future and the impact our services will have on local businesses,” said Christa Proper, Independent Connections CEO. “We are very committed to Pittsfield and we feel it is the perfect place for Indy to expand and maintain a local presence for our local customers.”
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MassHire Berkshire Workforce Board awarded $2.2 million for behavioral healthcare industry trainings
Pittsfield— The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) has awarded the MassHire Berkshire Workforce Board a $2.2 million grant to support behavioral health and healthcare employment programs to provide no-cost job training, placement, and retention services to unemployed and underemployed Berkshire County residents.
The Healthcare/Behavioral Health Hubs Grant, administered statewide by Commonwealth Corporation, will provide funding over a 3-year period (January 2024 to December 2026.) The grant is funded through the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund (WCTF) FY’21-FY’22 Appropriations and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021.
The MassHire Berkshire Workforce Board has partnered with Berkshire Health Systems, Integritus Healthcare, Community Health Programs, and Berkshire Community College to provide 51 trainings throughout the grant period. These trainings include Nursing Assistant, Certified Nursing Assistant, Medical Assistant, Certified Clinical Medical Assistant, and Registered Behavior Technician trainings. Additional trainings will be added in 2025 and 2026 and include Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), LPN to RN, and a behavioral health training in partnership with the Brien Center.
The MassHire Career Center will act as a pillar throughout the grant period and will assist with marketing, recruitment, and trainee support. The Career Center will also host yearly industry specific job fairs to connect trainees with local employers.
Individuals interested in enrolling in a no-cost training, or employers seeking to hire trainees can contact Bryana Malloy, Industry Manager at industry@masshireberkshire.com.
