Berkshire Bank Employees Volunteer More Than 4,500 Hours on June 7

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Bank completed its Xtraordinary Day on June 7. This event marked the first year the entire bank participated in community-service events concurrently from 1 to 4 p.m., closing the entire financial institution as a united effort for community involvement.

During Xtraordinary Day, 95% of the Berkshire Bank team, 1,161 employees, completed 56 projects. From painting of elementary schools and cleanups of local parks to financial-literacy lessons, they contributed more than 4,500 hours of service, a value of $128,000. The projects helped 54 different nonprofit organizations and directly impacted more than 100,000 individuals across the bank’s footprint.

Berkshire Bank’s goal with Xtraordinary Day was to affect the communities that support it every day in a significant way, by being active and immersed in projects that would have a meaningful and lasting impact on these communities.

“Berkshire Bank’s Xtraordinary Day was intended to create a sense of unity through all of our employees and within our communities,” said Tami Gunsch, the bank’s executive vice president, noting that the day’s projects benefited nonprofit organizations and communities in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Vermont.

In Berkshire County, projects included painting at Stearns Elementary School, Egremont Elementary School, and Boys & Girls Club Camp Russell; downtown guide assembly at Downtown Pittsfield; cleanup of Pittsfield parks, Greenagers Housatonic River Walk, and Berkshire Athenaeum; a home build with Northern Berkshire Habitat For Humanity; tree measuring with Trustees of Reservations at Bartholomew’s Cobble; and fourth- to sixth-grade literacy at Farmington River Regional School.

In the Pioneer Valley, projects included cleanup of Stanley Park, YMCA of Westfield, Southwick Rail Trail, West Springfield YMCA, Amelia Park Children’s Museum, Birthday Wishes, and Girls Inc. of Greenfield; a house build and restore for Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity; a bike build at YMCA of Greater Springfield; administrative duties at Children’s Study Home; tree planting at ReGreen Springfield; and truck unloading at Community Survival Center.