Editor’s Note: We had so much business news this week that we decided to break Business Briefs into two parts. This is the first part.
“Choose Your Subaru” raffle benefitting homeless animals
Pittsfield— Berkshire Humane Society and Haddad Subaru have launched their 11th annual “Choose Your Subaru” car raffle. One lucky winner will have their choice of a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Limited, Forester Premium, or Outback Premium.
Tickets are $40 each or three for $100 and are available in Pittsfield at Berkshire Humane Society’s main shelter, Wellness Center, and Haddad Subaru, in Lanesboro at Baker’s Golf Center, in Richmond at Bartlett’s Orchard, and in Great Barrington at Catwalk Boutique and Purradise. They are also available by calling the shelter at 413-447-7878, extension 131.
The raffle is limited to 2,400 tickets. If at least 1,000 tickets are not sold, the raffle will convert to a 50/50 drawing of net proceeds. The winner will be drawn on Saturday, October 29th at 1 p.m. at Haddad Subaru on East Street in Pittsfield.
“We can’t think of a better way to raise money for our furry little four-legged friends” said George Haddad, President of Haddad Auto Group “For 12 years we have made it our mission to do what we can to help John and his team find every shelter pet their well-deserved forever home and we will continue to do so.”
“The animals of our community depend on you,” said Perreault. All proceeds benefit homeless animals of the Berkshires. For more information on the raffle, call 413-447-7878, extension 131.
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Pittsfield Cooperative Bank donates $5,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of the Berkshires
Pittsfield— The Boys & Girls Club of the Berkshires received a donation last week of $5,000 from the Pittsfield Cooperative Bank. Half of the funds will be directed to the Drop-In Program, while the remaining will be used to support their annual Children First Golf tournament. The Drop-In Program provides children a safe
“We are pleased to make this contribution to the Boys & Girls Club, which is devoted to shaping the lives of youth in the Berkshires,” stated J. Jay Anderson, president and CEO of Pittsfield Cooperative Bank. “The kids are the future of our community and the resources we provide them with now are the key to their success.”
“We are very grateful to Pittsfield Cooperative Bank for their generous donation,” stated CEO Joseph McGovern of the Boys & Girls Club of the Berkshires. “The Drop-In has been a highly successful national program by focusing on building children’s character and leadership skills while combining it with artistic, fitness and recreational activities.”
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Second Chance Composting debuts residential community composting program in northern Berkshires
Adams— Second Chance Composting, a family and locally-owned compost company, recently debuted their new Residential Community Composting Program in North Adams, Williamstown, and Adams as partnerships with local businesses and organizations. The program also has an additional location in Cheshire.
Community members sign up for a membership and for $9.99 per month, they receive unlimited drop off of their household food scraps to one of the community host locations. Members save their food scraps at home, and at their convenience, bring them to the location as little or as often as needed and drop them into the totes.
“We are very excited to share this with the local community.” Pitroff said. “Composting is a community effort, and we have been very fortunate to partner with great people who not only know the importance of composting, but are going out of their way to be part of it.” Pitroff continued, “We want composting to be accessible, affordable, and convenient for everyone locally, and this is a big step forward. People are being brought together through a shared effort to do what is right for our planet, our future, and ourselves.”
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BERK12 and MassHire Berkshire Workforce Board offer college and career team celebration at BIC
Berkshire— Berkshire Educational Resources K12 (BERK12) and the MassHire Berkshire Workforce Board will bring together school counselors and educators from Berkshire County school districts for a College and Career Team celebration on Wednesday, June 21st ay 4 pm.m at the Berkshire Innovation Center.
This event is being held in recognition of the work that college and career teams have done in the past year to support workforce learning opportunities for middle and high school students. The role of the teams is to facilitate career readiness activities that help equip students with the skills and knowledge needed for their future career success. The event will be an opportunity for educators and school counselors to network with one another and share their strategies for helping to prepare students for their future.
The college and career teams received support over the past year from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) Rural Innovation and Efficiencies grant program. BERK12 was awarded a $286,000 grant to work with 11 Berkshire County public school districts that are eligible for rural state aid. BERK12 partnered with MassHire Berkshire Workforce Board and Berkshire Community College to implement the grant. The grant built upon work that the MassHire Berkshire Workforce Board has done for more than 20 years with Connecting Activities funds that they receive from DESE to support career readiness models in public schools.
The grant supported 46 paid internships, which were in addition to 450 other high school internships that took place across the Berkshires throughout the year. Employers were reimbursed for up to $2,000 in wages for each intern they hosted. Other activities covered by the grant include professional development for educators and school counselors and support for ongoing districtwide career development activities such as career fairs, job shadowing days, mock interviews, and career development assessments for students.
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Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires is offering a series of six grant writing webinars
Great Barrington— In partnership with GrantStation, the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires is offering a series of six grant writing webinars for $50. Led by GrantStation president Alice Ruhnke, the webinars take place at 2 p.m. every other Monday between July 17th and September 25th. Attendees receive materials and links to the recordings in case they miss the live webinars.
An author and educator, Ruhnke has worked with hundreds of nonprofit organizations over the past 20 years to improve their capacity to raise funds. The webinars are 30 minutes long with 15 additional minutes of Q&A. Series topics include: How to Read a Request for Proposals, Building Credibility in Your Background Section, Writing a Compelling Statement of Need, Crafting a Process and Outcome Evaluation, Building an Approach that Gets Noticed, and Developing Project Budgets that Make Sense.
The Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires has been helping nonprofits connect, learn, and grow since 2016. For more information and to register, visit npcberkshires.org.
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Pittsfield Cooperative Bank Offers Homebuying Assistance to People of Color Through FHLBank Boston’s Umbrella Special Purpose Credit Program
Pittsfield— Pittsfield Cooperative Bank (The Co-op) has been approved to participate in the Lift Up Homeownership program, a Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston pilot program, designed to provide financial assistance to people of color purchasing their first home. People of color is defined as Black, American Indian or Alaska Native, Hispanic, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.
Through Lift Up Homeownership (LUH), people of color earning up to 120% of the area median income are eligible to receive up to $50,000 in down-payment and closing cost assistance on a first-come, first-served basis to purchase their first home in New England. Homebuyers are required to complete a homebuyer counseling program prior to receiving LUH funds, and must have a signed purchase and sale agreement.
“At a time when home prices and mortgage interest rates have risen sharply in New England, the dream of owning a home is beyond the reach of many. The Co-op is pleased to participate in the Lift Up Homeownership program and offer people of color a critical stepping stone to realizing their homeownership goals,” said President and CEO J. Jay Anderson.
To learn more about applying for homebuying assistance through the Lift Up Homeownership program and other programs Pittsfield Cooperative Bank offers in partnership with Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston and other organizations, please contact Mary Coughlin at 413-629-1605 or Rich Whalen at 413-629-1610.
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Greylock to provide up to $250,000 in first-time homebuyer support
Pittsfield— Greylock has been awarded access to $250,000 as part of a Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston pilot program designed to provide financial assistance to people of color purchasing their first home.
Through the program, Lift Up Homeownership, Greylock will provide $50,000 in down payment and closing cost assistance to qualified borrowers on a first-come, first-served basis. The program is open to people of color earning up to 120% of the area median income to purchase their first home. Participants must complete a homebuyer counseling program before receiving program funds.
“The pool of funds available to Massachusetts financial institutions is relatively small,” said Greylock’s Vice President, Mortgage Originations Tara McCluskey. “Greylock intends to award their $250,000 allocation as soon as possible to make sure the funds find their way to the Berkshires before they run out.”
To learn more about applying for homebuying assistance through the Lift Up Homeownership program, call Greylock’s mortgage department at 413-236-4125.
