Company Notebook

UMass Amherst Partners with Amherst Survival Center on Campus Food Pantry

AMHERST — UMass Amherst is forging a long-term partnership with the Amherst Survival Center to establish and run a food pantry on the UMass Amherst campus, the university announced. The pantry will be open to university students and employees experiencing food insecurity. The pantry, scheduled to open in fall 2025, will be located at 472 North Pleasant St. in Amherst, in the building that formerly housed the Newman Catholic Center, which relocated to a new facility in 2023. The new space will boast ample storage and refrigeration capabilities, easy access by car and bus, and a welcoming environment for pantry shoppers to select from non-perishable and fresh foods, provided by the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, direct donations, as well as purchased items. The North Pleasant Street location will act as a hub for the Dean of Students Office basic needs initiative, centralizing access to the pantry as well as other campus services, such as the Student Care Supply Closet and the student-run Food Recovery Network, which recovers leftover food from university dining halls and donates it to individuals experiencing food insecurity.

Country Bank Donates Property to Pathfinder Tech

WARE — Country Bank President and CEO Mary McGovern announced that the bank has donated its 191 Sykes St. location in Palmer to Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School. The property, valued at $500,000, will be a valuable asset for the school and a significant contribution to the local community, enhancing the educational landscape and fostering growth. This act of generosity directly impacts the lives of the residents, making them an integral part of this initiative. Country Bank consolidated its Palmer locations in 2022 and sought a meaningful purpose for the property. Through a collaborative effort with Pathfinder Regional Vocational Techical High School and Country Bank, the decision was made to donate the building to the high school to support its expansion initiatives. The newly donated property will facilitate Pathfinder Tech’s expansion of adult evening education programs and provide additional office space. It will host classes, making education more accessible to adult learners in the community. Country Bank’s ATM will remain at this location to continue serving customers in Thorndike and Three Rivers sections of Palmer.

Riverbend Laundry Opens

PALMER — Riverbend Laundry, in conjunction with the Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce, held a ribbon-cutting event to celebrate its grand opening on Oct. 4. The self-service laundromat is located at 2024 Main St. in the heart of Palmer’s village of Three Rivers. The facility features the Laundroworks system for seamless payments and uses Sanowash technology to ensure every load is thoroughly sanitized. Riverbend Laundry is a family-owned business operated by local residents Justin, Ryan, and Sergio Dias. Justin earned his master’s degree in architecture from Wentworth Institute of Technology in 2013 and currently works as a computational designer. Ryan graduated from Westfield State University in 2011 with a double major in finance and economics and serves as an accounting manager. With more than 30 years of experience in the construction industry, Sergio has worked his way up from carpenter to foreman and project superintendent.

Bay Path Ranked Among Top Schools for Social Mobility

LONGMEADOW — Bay Path University has been ranked ninth on U.S. News & World Report’s annual list of Top Performers for Social Mobility in the North. Bay Path was the only school in Massachusetts to appear in the top 10. U.S. News & World Report’s social-mobility ranking is a measure of how well schools graduate economically disadvantaged students. Rankings were determined by looking at the number of enrolled students receiving Pell Grants, assessing the graduation rates of those students, and comparing those rates to the graduations of non-Pell-eligible students. In recent years, U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges rankings and the attention they garner have been cited for perpetuating a culture of exclusion and feeding persistent inequalities. Critics champion the Social Mobility Index, which measures the extent to which a college or university educates more economically disadvantaged students (with family incomes below the national median) at lower tuition and graduates them into well-paying jobs.

MCLA Ranked Among Top Public Liberal Arts Colleges

NORTH ADAMS — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) has earned the sixth spot on U.S. News & World Report’s list of Top Public Liberal Arts Schools in the nation, after earning the seventh spot for the past three consecutive years. The college’s continued commitment to affordable education and economic prosperity is reflected in additional 2025 U.S. News rankings: fifth for Top Performer on Social Mobility for liberal arts colleges in the state and second for Top Performer on Social Mobility for public liberal arts colleges in the country. MCLA has appeared on U.S. News’ list of Top Ten Public Colleges for 10 consecutive years. The college has also been acknowledged in its list of National Liberal Arts Colleges for Social Mobility since the organization adopted this ranking in 2019. This list measures how well institutions graduate students who receive federal Pell Grants, typically awarded to students whose families make less than $50,000, though most Pell Grant money goes to families with income below $20,000. More than 41% of MCLA undergraduate students receive Pell Grants, and 49% are the first in their families to go to college. Overall, 95% of MCLA students receive some kind of financial aid.

AIC Ranked Among Social-mobility Leaders

SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC) has been recognized for its outstanding achievement in social mobility, ranking 82nd in the National Universities category of the 2025 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings. Within this classification, AIC is the top-performing institution for social mobility in Western Mass. and ranks third in the state, tied with Harvard University. AIC’s efforts to create pathways for student advancement are reflected in its top-100 nationwide ranking for the second consecutive year. Social mobility refers to the ability of individuals to improve their economic and social standing through education and career advancement. By providing access to affordable, high-quality education, AIC enables students — particularly those from underrepresented or economically disadvantaged backgrounds — to achieve greater opportunities and long-term success. The U.S. News social-mobility ranking assesses colleges based on outcomes such as enrolling and graduating students from diverse backgrounds, managing student debt, and the earnings of graduates. Advancing social mobility is partly achieved by enrolling and graduating many students who receive federal Pell Grants, with most awarded to students with family incomes under $50,000. For the fall 2023 semester, 53% of AIC’s undergraduate students received Pell Grants.

UMass Amherst Ranked 26th Among Public Universities

AMHERST — UMass Amherst ranks 26th among the nation’s public universities in the 2025 Best Colleges rankings published by U.S. News & World Report, rising six spots from last year. This is the 10th straight year that UMass Amherst has been ranked as a top public university. It is the only public university in New England to place in the top 30. UMass Amherst climbed nine spots from last year to 58th among all 434 national universities, both public and private, placing in the top 15% nationally and achieving its highest ranking to date. UMass is the only public university in New England in the top 58 in this national overall ranking. In addition, the UMass Amherst nursing program climbed significantly to 26th, up from 52nd last year. The UMass Amherst computer science program ranks 34th for 2025, up six spots from last year. The artificial intelligence program claims the same spot as last year at 20th. Other highlights include UMass Amherst’s undergraduate business program placing 65th and engineering at 57th, which is up four spots from last year. Psychology was ranked 42nd. The university also places on the Best for Veterans list at 34th, up six spots from last year.

Comcast Awards $70,000 To Three Organizations

SPRINGFIELD — Comcast announced it is awarding a total of $70,000 across three nonprofit organizations in Western Mass. to help provide area residents and students with technology and computer skills training. These grants are a part of Project UP, Comcast’s $1 billion commitment to advance digital equity through programs and community partnerships that connect people to the internet, advance economic mobility, and open doors for the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, storytellers, and creators. Tech Goes Home will receive $30,000 to offer its digital-inclusion programs in Holyoke and Springfield, through which participants will complete 15 hours of digital skills training and earn a technology bundle that will include a personal device. The Urban League of Springfield will receive $20,000 to support its digital learning lab, which provides participants with essential technology and internet skills training, specialty workshops, the Urban League’s Project Ready Mentor and STEM youth programs, and more. The Boys & Girls Club of Springfield will receive $20,000 to support its e-sports programming, through which participants build social-emotional and STEM skills by engaging in educational, hands-on gaming sessions led by club staff.

Country Bank Recognized for Charitable Giving

WARE — Country Bank announced that the Boston Business Journal has once again named the bank an honoree in its annual 2024 Corporate Citizenship Awards, recognizing the region’s top corporate charitable contributors. The magazine annually publishes this list to highlight companies that promote and prioritize giving back to their communities. During this year’s celebration on Sept. 5, 96 companies qualified for the distinction by reporting at least $100,000 in cash contributions to Massachusetts-based charities last year, as noted above. This year’s honorees include companies from such industry sectors as financial and professional services, healthcare, technology, retail, and professional sports. Country Bank, ranked 51st, employs 220 staff members within Hampden, Hampshire, and Worcester counties. The bank’s employees actively promote its mission of making a difference in its communities by volunteering for various nonprofits throughout the year.

PeoplesBank Recognized for Corporate Responsibility

HOLYOKE — PeoplesBank has been named a Top Corporate Charitable Contributor by the Boston Business Journal, which also recognized the bank’s employees by listing them as number three in the state for volunteer hours contributed. PeoplesBank was also included in the top three most generous corporate contributors in Western Mass. A sample of Massachusetts organizations supported by PeoplesBank include the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Girls Inc. of the Valley, Spirit of Springfield, and Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services. Connecticut organizations supported by PeoplesBank include the Boys & Girls Club Greater Hartford, Habitat for Humanity of North Central Connecticut, Celebrate! WeHa, and Operation Fuel.

Westfield State University Awarded $55,000 Grant

WESTFIELD — The Westfield State University Foundation has been awarded a $55,000 grant from the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation in support of the Leadership, Excellence, Achievement, Diversity (LEAD) Scholars Program. Westfield State’s LEAD Scholars Program provides holistic services for students who self-identify as first-generation and demonstrate a financial need, with a special focus on increasing the representation of students who may have historically been excluded from the benefits of a college education. By providing extra support throughout their college journey, the LEAD Scholars Program helps students overcome the challenges they face as they work to achieve their academic and personal goals, increasing retention and graduation rates.

Sisu Wellness Center Opens in Easthampton

EASTHAMPTON — Sisu Wellness Center hosted a grand-opening event on Sept. 28. What began in April 2023 as a modest operation with just two offices and two practitioners has blossomed into a thriving, 4,084-square-foot space. Sisu is now home to 16 diverse practitioners, a full-service yoga studio, and a community gathering area called the Community Zen Den, which is able to accommodate large groups of people for various workshop experiences. The center has also launched a successful line of wellness products, including medicinal tea, candles, and skin and hair oils. Owned by Natasha Perrone, a seasoned reiki and reflexology practitioner, and Betty Coyne, an IT expert turned Cornell University-certified medicinal-plants expert, aura photographer, and sound healer, Sisu Wellness Center offers a wide range of services, including massage therapy, Tibetan medicine, reiki, sound healing, reflexology, psychotherapy, yoga, somatic healing, integrative health coaching, and much more. The Community Zen Den features events such as artist receptions, candle-making classes, kids’ yoga, self-care workshops, and other community gathering opportunities.

North Shore Bank Completes Merger with Abington Bank

EASTHAMPTON — Hometown Financial Group Inc., the multi-bank mutual holding company for bankESB, bankHometown, North Shore Bank, and Abington Bank, a division of North Shore Bank, announced that the merger of Abington Bank with North Shore Bank is complete, and that North Shore Bank has joined the Hometown Financial Group family of banks. North Shore Bank now has more than $3 billion in assets and 25 full-service retail locations across Massachusetts’ North and South Shore regions and Southern New Hampshire. No branch closures or staff reductions took place. Hometown Financial Group now has consolidated assets of $6.5 billion, more than 700 employees, and a branch network of 52 full-service offices across Massachusetts, Northeastern Connecticut, and Southern New Hampshire. The transaction is the seventh strategic merger for Hometown Financial Group in the last nine years.