{"id":19317,"date":"2023-08-08T11:41:22","date_gmt":"2023-08-08T15:41:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.northcentralmass.com\/?p=19317"},"modified":"2023-09-27T15:55:10","modified_gmt":"2023-09-27T19:55:10","slug":"berkshire-bank-foundation-announces-more-than-845000-in-philanthropic-investments-in-q2-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.northcentralmass.com\/es\/berkshire-bank-foundation-announces-more-than-845000-in-philanthropic-investments-in-q2-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Berkshire Bank Foundation Announces More Than $845,000 in Philanthropic Investments in Q2 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"Berkshire<\/a>

Photo Caption: Berkshire Bankers volunteered for a cleanup day at Camp Fuller, part of YMCA of Greater Providence, RI.<\/p><\/div>\n

Berkshire Bank<\/a>, a leading, socially responsible community bank with financial centers in New England and New York, announced more than $845,000 in Foundation philanthropic investments during the second quarter of 2023. These investments contributed to helping the communities Berkshire Bank serves.<\/p>\n

Grants awarded cover a wide range of projects that help foster upward economic mobility, support overall well-being, and enhance opportunities for the success of individuals and small businesses, particularly for underrepresented populations. These investments also support the company\u2019s\u00a0BEST Community Comeback<\/a>\u00a0which includes a planned $15 million in community contributions by the end of 2024.<\/p>\n

In total, the\u00a0Berkshire Bank Foundation<\/a>\u00a0assisted 190 nonprofit organizations during the second quarter of 2023 by providing funding to support needs such as food insecurity, health, wellness, homelessness, educational advancement, arts, youth development, culture, diversity, and inclusion.\u202fThe Berkshire Bank Foundation is committed to supporting programs that provide equitable opportunities for economic prosperity.<\/p>\n

\u201cThough our financial support and volunteer service, we are proud to help lift up the communities that we serve,\u201d said Director of the Berkshire Bank Foundation, Lori Gazzillo Kiely. She added, \u201cWe are pleased to continue to assist nonprofits doing great work to positively impact individuals, families and small businesses within the Berkshire Bank footprint.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barbara A. Shaw, LCSW, executive director,\u00a0Hands On Hartford<\/a>\u00a0shared \u201cBerkshire Bank provided $2,500 to support Hands On Hartford in CT Foodshare\u2019s Walk Against Hunger and an additional $5,000 contribution and volunteer assistance this September during the bank\u2019s annual Xtraordinary Day. Through funding and\u00a0volunteerism<\/a>, Berkshire Bank directly impacts the lives of the folks who turn to Hands On Hartford for help with food and housing security, which are especially important in these challenging times, and we couldn\u2019t be more grateful for the bank\u2019s partnership.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition, the foundation supports programs\u00a0that align with Berkshire Bank\u2019s Center for Women, Wellness, and Wealth (CWWW)* to provide opportunities for women to build a future enriched with financial stability, balance and growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cFunding from Berkshire Bank Foundation has been transformative to our work advancing women\u2019s economic security across our four western-most counties, and particularly in Hampden County where we just released a new report,\u201d stated Donna Haghighat, CEO of the\u00a0Women\u2019s Fund of Western Massachusetts<\/a>. She continued, \u201cWhile the report painted a bleak picture of how vulnerable particularly women of color are, it also contained the seeds of promising solutions raised by the 195 women surveyed and the nonprofit employees of our seven community partners who conducted the surveys.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Berkshire Bank grant recipients listed below are just a sample of the projects the bank has supported to strengthen organizations throughout Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Vermont during the second quarter of 2023. Recipients include:<\/p>\n