Williamstown Community Chest

05/23/2026

One of our greatest joys every year is bestowing the annual Scarborough Salomon Flynt Community Service Award at Town Meeting to recognize one of our outstanding citizens. This year we celebrate Winthrop F. Chenail and the 60+ years he and his family have farmed on Luce Road and the generations their wonderful produce has fed.

We could go on and on, but thanks to WilliNet - TV you can see and hear the presentation for yourself.

05/22/2026

Celebrate the start of summer with our Partners at the Berkshire Food Project today! If you know someone who would enjoy a great cook-out with in terrific company, bring them along.

05/19/2026

We join our Partners at the Berkshire Food Project in congratulating Kathryn Benson on being recognized as an Unsung Hero at the recent Berkshire Nonprofit Awards. We're happy to sing her praises any day!

Today, we are proud to recognize Kathryn Benson of the Berkshire Food Project as our Unsung Hero honoree! 💙

As Project Assistant, Kathryn is the quiet force behind so much of BFP’s daily success — supporting staff and volunteers, overseeing operations, and helping create a welcoming environment for every guest. Her kindness, organization, and steady leadership make an incredible impact each and every day.

What makes Kathryn truly special is her humility and dedication to others. She works tirelessly behind the scenes without seeking recognition, always putting the needs of volunteers, staff, and guests first.

Thank you, Kathryn, for your compassion, commitment, and all you do for the community! 👏💫

Get your tickets before we sell out to celebrate Kathryn and our other honorees at the Berkshire Nonprofit Awards on Tuesday, May 19th!
https://npcberkshires.org/product/nonprofit-awards-ticket/

05/10/2026

Our Partners at BFAIR (Berkshire Family and Individual Resources) held their annual meeting last Wednesday at Berkshire Hills Country Club, handing out awards to both those it has helped and those who helped it.

"BFAIR, has had another really successful year. We foresee the future as being very positive. We are in a very stable financial position. We really look forward to continuing that success in the future," said BFAIR Board Chair Peter Mirante.

READ MORE:

Jane Patenaude-LeBeau, left, with Interim CEO Ethel Altiery, was recognized for her 35 years with BFAIR. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — BFAIR celebrated another year with a...

05/04/2026

Runners take note!

Our Partners at the Elizabeth Freeman Center are proud to host the longest-running all-women road race in the United States as their Women's Running Race celebrates its 50th running this Mother's Day at Berkshire Community College!

This year's race is scheduled for 8 am on Sunday, May 10. Register here:
https://berkshirerun.org/womens-day-race/

05/01/2026

Our Partners at the Berkshire Food Project are gearing up for their Super Bite "Chopped"-style food competition featuring top local chefs on Friday, May 8 at Greylock WORKS. The curated auction is live NOW! So start your bidding today!

https://givebutter.com/c/BFPSuperBiteChallenge/auction

04/29/2026

What fun to learn more about the terrific people who work for and with our Partners at Community Legal Aid who serve all four counties considered "western Massachusetts" - Berkshire, Franklin, Hamden, and Hampshire.

Meet 37-year old Springfield Managing Attorney Corrine Ryan, who has just been named one of BusinessWest's 2026 list of "40 Under 40.". Her multi-faceted work is focused on staff development, professional development, grant writing, meeting with legislators to secure adequate funding, community engagement to build awareness of what CLA does, and direct oversight of its many operations, from the more than 100 calls the office receives each day to implementation of new programs.

https://businesswest.com/blog/corrine-ryan/

04/26/2026

Our Partners at The Brien Center have appointed Keith Kendall as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer.

Kendall is a seasoned executive with more than two decades of leadership experience as a CEO, COO, and CFO across healthcare, life sciences, and financial services organizations. He brings extensive expertise in organizational leadership, operations, and governance within complex, highly regulated environments.

04/21/2026

Our Partners at Childcare of the Berkshires the YMCA, are joining forces with Youth Center Inc., in Cheshire for a community-wide cleanup across Northern Berkshire on Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22, .

Participants will help clean playgrounds, trails and shared public spaces from Cheshire to North Adams, with all efforts culminating in a celebratory gathering at Windsor Lake. The event will wrap up with music from DJ In the Groove and a pizza party for volunteers.

Thanks to our local businesses who've pitched in! Casella Waste Systems is providing trash bags, gloves, prizes, and will collect all bagged debris along the route, along with recycling-themed educational coloring books. Dufour Tours is donating transportation to help ensure access across the cleanup sites, while Linda Cernik of the Northern Berkshire Solid Waste Management District has played a key role in coordinating the event, including securing donations for the Windsor Lake celebration.

04/20/2026

If you weren't able to make it to our annual meeting last week, here's a great recap, thanks to iBerkshires.com. Thanks to Netse Lytle, Executive Director of Wild Oats Market, for stepping in at the last minute as our keynote speaker and catching us up on the changes happening at the Co-op and its Community Essentials Initiative

We are indeed looking forward to celebrating our centennial with you in the coming year. Please join us!

https://www.iberkshires.com/story/82375/Williams-Community-Chest-Looking-Forward-to-Centennial.html