Berkshire United Way, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, Northern Berkshire United Way, and Williamstown Community Chest established the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund for Berkshire County in March 2020 to support low-income families, communities of color and immigrants, and seniors through services such as food pantries, health care, and housing.
During the initial emergency phase, the Fund, along with support from the Neighbor-to-Neighbor Fund at Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund, awarded 185 grants totaling over $3.4 million to 104 organizations or initiatives responding to these basic needs.
In the summer of 2021, the coalition shifted its focus from emergency response to recovery. An additional 25 grants totaling over $145,000 were distributed to support innovative approaches addressing emotional well-being for children, youth, and families.
At this time, the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund is on pause while these four organizations maintain focus on their core areas of support and keep in touch with nonprofit and government leaders to assess new needs that are arising from the pandemic.
We ask our supportive companies, local families, and individuals to help us invest in the long-term community impact work we have all come to depend on.
HELP THE HELPERS GRANTEES
TOTAL AMOUNT DISTRIBUTED: $11,500
COVID-19 FUND GRANTEES
TOTAL COVID-19 FUND GRANT AMOUNT DISTRIBUTED: $3,409,436
Responding Together
Thank you to these fundraising efforts
Thank you to Pittsfield Community Television and Pittsfield Community Radio for coordinating efforts to produce a Help-a-Thon to raise awareness and funds for the Berkshire County COVID-19 Fund.
Thank you to Patty Spector of the Josh Billings RunAground for introducing this idea and VidMob for creating a fun visual to invite the community to be active and help raise funds.
"Saturday on Mill Pond" by Amy Pressman (oil, 15x20)
Guild of Berkshire Artists pledge partial proceeds from Summer Celebrations sales
The Guild of Berkshire Artists announces its second online art show, “Art in the Time of the Pandemic,” to benefit the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund for Berkshire County. The show is viewable now on the Guild website, https://www.berkshireartists.org/august20show. A reception will be held via Zoom at a date to be announced.
The Guild invites you to contact individual artists to chat or buy a piece that you see in the show. The artists are generally available to give a brief overview of their work, perhaps highlighting a particular piece, and can also offer additional works that are not online.
This month, artists in the show have pledged to donate a minimum of 25 percent of the proceeds of sales to the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund for Berkshire County, administered by Berkshire United Way and Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation in partnership with Northern Berkshire United Way and Williamstown Community Chest. This fund supports nonprofit organizations helping those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. You can access the fund directly at www.berkshireunitedway.org/berkshirecountycovid19fund for more information.
This online art show will continue through mid-October, at which time another in the online series will be featured. As each new show is featured, previous shows will remain accessible on the website at www.berkshireartists.org/shows. For more information, email berkshireartists@gmail.com or visit www.berkshireartists.org.
Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll) Berkshire County in collaboration with 1Berkshire, hosted an April Fool’s Comedy program to benefit the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund for Berkshire County, co-led by Berkshire United Way and Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.
Punnily named “EfoolsAll and FunBerkshire,” the event was presented by the Laugh Dealers, recent graduates of EforAll Berkshire County’s Business Accelerator program. The show included the duo’s signature “digital impersonations” and four nationally known stand-up comedians:
- Steven Rogers (Late Show with Stephen Colbert)
- Seth Brown (High Mud Comedy Fest at MassMOCA)
- Isabel Hagen (The Tonight Show)
- Adam Mamawalla (Comedy Central)