More than 1,000 Berkshire Bank employees volunteer on ‘Xtraordinary Day’

More than 1,000 Berkshire Bank employees rolled up their sleeves on June 13 and helped make the communities where they live and work stronger and more resilient by volunteering at more than 45 local nonprofits across the bank’s markets as part of Xtraordinary Day (X Day), the bank’s annual day of service.

Every year, Berkshire closes all of its financial centers and offices at 12 p.m. to host X Day, which supports nonprofits that address hunger, homelessness and affordable housing and aim to create a more equitable, just and sustainable future.

In all, employees participated in more than 50 X Day projects in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Vermont and Rhode Island, as well as one in Pennsylvania that was supported by colleagues at Berkshire’s nationwide SBA lending division 44 Business Capital.

In Massachusetts, Berkshire participated in projects that benefitted:

Berkshire Botanical Gardens and Construct in Stockbridge;
Berkshire HorseWorks in Richmond;
Bina Farm in Lexington;
Veterans Inc., Boys & Girls Club of Worcester, Habitat for Humanity of Metro West Greater Worcester and Hope for Worcester in Worcester;
Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity and the Gladys Allen Brigham Center’s Girls Inc. camp in Pittsfield;
Child Care of the Berkshires in North Adams;
Cradles to Crayons in Newton;
Girls Inc. of Worcester in Holden;
Lee Youth Commission in Lee;
Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless in Lynn and Westfield;
Milford Veterans Services in Milford;
ReGreen Springfield in Springfield;
Ron Burton Training Village in Hubbardston;
United Way of Tri-County in Clinton;
West Stockbridge Historical Society in West Stockbridge.

“At Berkshire, giving back to our communities is a top priority,” said Lori Gazzillo Kiely, Managing Director of the Berkshire Bank Foundation. “We know that building stronger

communities requires a better approach to banking and our employees work tirelessly every day to deliver on that promise.”

Named for the X in its logo, Berkshire’s award-winning XTEAM Employee Volunteer and Giving Program is a central element of its workplace culture, providing employees with an easy way to put its corporate values into action and help each of our communities realize its full potential.

In 2023, Berkshire employees logged more than 21,000 hours of volunteer service. In addition to the hours contributed through X Day, all Berkshire employees are eligible for up to 16 hours of paid time off annually to volunteer with nonprofits of their choice.