Here For Good Volunteer Month 2023

Berkshire United Way is proud to present the 3rd annual

volunteer month logo

Community members, workplace employees, and partners throughout Berkshire County join us for a month of volunteer activities.

Thank you to supporting partner: NONPROFIT CENTER OF THE BERKSHIRES

Volunteer Month Events

Thank you volunteers for helping Pittsfield High School students understand how to make sound financial choices. At each booth, volunteers helped students verify their spending with sample currency. Booths included: housing, food, insurance, banking, health and wellness, transportation, and charitable giving. Berkshire United Way helped get volunteers for the event.

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Thank you volunteers for helping Taconic High School juniors and seniors understand how to make sound financial decisions. At each booth, a volunteer (paired with a teacher) helped students verify their spending with sample currency. Booths included: housing, food, insurance, banking, and more. Taconic organized the fair in partnership with Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts and Berkshire United Way helped get volunteers, including a few from the BUW team.

Volunteers (English and Spanish speakers) were invited to read a page from Cara Peckham-Krol’s book, “Fairy Slippers: Molly Saves the Bees,” for a downtown StoryWalk® starting outside of Dottie’s Coffee Lounge on North Street.

The walk concluded at the South Congregational Church at 110 South Street, followed by a Fairy Tea Party. Presented by Downtown Pittsfield, Inc.

See photos from the event via DPI's Facebook page

Thank you to volunteers who gave some of the Book Houses a fresh coat of paint. See image gallery below ▼

Book House check ups are ongoing » LEARN MORE

See Book House locations

Thank you to the Pittsfield High School students who surveyed the neighborhood across from the Berkshire Athenaeum. They observed street and sidewalk conditions, trash, lack of green space, and more.

Facilitated by Berkshire Regional Planning Commission » Learn More

Berkshire Pride hosted a volunteer kick-off event to celebrate and educate volunteers, as well as provide signups to volunteer for the 2023 Berkshire Pride Festival. Berkshire United Way helped sign up volunteers.

There are still spots open to volunteer at the festival » Sign Up Here

We helped connect employees at EDM - architecture & engineering with a volunteer project for Earth Day.

Berkshire United Way and Westside Legends partnered to gather volunteers to help at the Arbor Day Tree Party and Clean Up on April 29 in Durant Park. Volunteers helped community members plant trees and clean up the park.

Thank you to the Taconic High School students who surveyed the neighborhood surrounding Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity. They observed street and sidewalk conditions, trash, lack of green space, and more.

Facilitated by Berkshire Regional Planning Commission » Learn More

Thank you to volunteers from Greylock Federal Credit Union, which sponsored the event; students from Taconic and Lenox high schools; and the BUW team.

ProShred shredded 9,400 pounds of paper and donations for this service were given to Berkshire United Way.

See image gallery below ▼

Thank you to all the volunteers who helped package 40,000 servings (2.8 tons) of food at St. Mary's School in Lee on May 6.

6,667 meal kits were distributed to:

  • Hinsdale Food Pantry
  • Otis/Monterey/Sheffield food pantries
  • South Community Food Pantry
  • Christian Center of Pittsfield
  • Roots & Dreams and Mustard Seeds
  • St. Joseph's Church
  • Dalton Methodist Church
  • Other various food sites

This project is held in partnership with The Outreach Program.

See image gallery below ▼

The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) conducts an annual national food drive. First held in 1983, this food drive helps feed millions of Americans. The Stamp Out Hunger® Food Drive, the country's largest one-day food drive, provides residents with an easy way to donate food to those in need. Read more | Watch video

Mail carriers delivered the food to the Pittsfield, North Adams, and Great Barrington Post Offices and volunteers helped unload, weigh, and pack into vehicles to be delivered to food pantries.

A total of 9.3 tons of food was collected!

See gallery below ▼

Downtown Pittsfield Spring Cleanup, 12-3 PM. Participants are welcome to drop in to the cleanup at any time (tools are not provided; each individual/team should make sure they bring gloves, water, rakes, and brooms). Trash bags will be provided.

For the Rotary Day of Service, the Rotary Club of Pittsfield will add native plants to the community gardens at Conte Elementary school to promote pollination by refreshing the soil and planting an educational tea garden.

Pittsfield Rotary will join more than 450 clubs and 12,000 Rotarians across 5 states and 2 countries, from Connecticut to Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, New York, and Bermuda to volunteer in their communities for an unprecedented Rotary Day of Service. LEARN MORE

Read Berkshire Eagle article » Pittsfield Rotary members serve as gardener for a day at Conte Community School during day of service

Volunteers are needed to help clean up Camp Stevenson-Witawentin, a Girls Inc. program of Gladys Allen Brigham Community Center.

This is a summer day camp for girls completing kindergarten to age 15. Located on Onota Lake in Pittsfield, the eight-week camp offers traditional camp programs along with prevention education.

9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (stay for an hour or the whole time) » SIGN UP HERE

If you take photos at any volunteer event, make sure to tag us and use #H4GVolunteer

LIVE UNITED Community Celebration

Tuesday, May 16, 2023 | 4:00-6:00 PM | Berkshire Hills Country Club

Congrats to award recipients Manny Slaughter and Vannessa Guess Slaughter, and Alex Reczkowski

manny slaughter, vannessa slaughter, tom bernard, alex reczkowski

Read more about the award recipients and watch the video from this event.

Visit our Volunteer Center for more volunteer opportunities

For assistance with the Volunteer Center, email Brenda Petell, Director of Volunteer Engagement, or call 413-212-1431.

#HereForGood Volunteer Month Archive

Volunteer Month is a success thanks to the sponsors; the companies, organizations, and individuals who volunteered their time; our partners who helped organize events; and everyone who celebrated with us at our Live United Community Celebration. View our Volunteer Month archive.