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Biz Briefs: Rotary 'Citizen of the Year,' Bank Grants
03:21PM / Monday, July 18, 2016
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Sally and Fred Harris were chosen as 'Citizens of the Yeaar' for their significant contribution to Great Barrington in saving St. James Episcopal Church

Good citizens: The Rotary Club of Great Barrington presented its annual “Citizen of the Year” award to Sally and Fred Harris of Saint James Place.  A luncheon presentation took place on June 29 at Crissey Farm, with selection committee chair, MaryAnn Norris, presiding.

Each year Great Barrington Rotarians honor a member or members of the community exemplifying the Rotary motto “service above self.” Sally and Fred Harris were chosen for their significant contribution to Great Barrington in saving St. James Episcopal Church and embarking on a six-year long historic restoration to transform the church buildings into a cultural center destined to enhance the cultural life of Great Barrington as well as the regional economy.

Several speakers gave heartfelt testimony to the Harrises’ unwavering commitment, their skills in advancing a well-conceived project, and their enormous investment in the community they treasure. Rotarian Bobbie Hallig said, “Lucky us in Berkshire County to attract folks the likes of Sally and Fred Harris, who are bringing an amazing place to life for us in downtown Great Barrington, henceforth known as Saint James Place. Six years of hard work are culminating in a performance space, rehearsal venue, wedding and celebration location, permanent home for Breaking Bread food suppliers, office space, and possibly many uses not yet even anticipated.”

Sally Harris said she comes from Texas where “we don’t have buildings like this.  I couldn’t bear to see this architectural gem torn down.” Harris was a parishioner for 34 years before disaster struck in 2008 when a wall collapsed resulting in the building being condemned and slated for demolition.

Through the Harrises vision and determination, the complex restoration is almost complete with the official opening slated for later in 2016. Saint James Place will serve as creative hub, permanent home, and year-round quality performance venue for small and mid-sized cultural organizations. For more information visit saintjamesplace.us.



Trained to care: Greylock Federal Credit Union is the first business in the Berkshires to complete the Home Instead Alzheimer’s Friendly Business training for 100 percent of their employees, and they plan to integrate the training into the hiring process.

In a memo to all employees, Greylock President and CEO John Bissell thanked “all employees for helping to create a more welcoming and supportive environment for customers suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementias.” He also acknowledged that, “this designation supports Greylock’s dedication to identify and help prevent elder financial abuse concerning our aging members.”

Across the state, approximately 120,000 individuals and families are living with dementia. Seventy percent of people with dementia are living at home. The Dementia Friendly Massachusetts Initiative encourages local communities to develop pathways to help individuals and their families to live fully with these conditions.

As part of a national effort to increase dementia awareness and support, customer service and human resource strategies have begun to address the questions of how to meet the needs of customers with dementia and their care partners, as well as the needs of employees who are caring for someone with the disease. This online education program has been listed as a resource for local businesses by Dementia Friendly America, www.dfamerica.org.

For more information about the Home Instead Alzheimers Friendly Business Online Course, visit www.alzheimersfriendlybusiness.com or contact Home Instead Senior Care at 413-442-0907.



Good grants: Berkshire Bank's charitable foundation awarded $1,120,862 in grants from January 1 to June 30 to nonprofit organizations across Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut and Vermont.

In addition to supporting organizations within the foundation’s funding focus areas of education, community and economic development projects, it also donated to youth, cultural and human service organizations that provide vital services to the community. Berkshire Bank Foundation  plans to award more than $1.8 million this year to nonprofit organizations across the Bank’s service area.

In total, 365 nonprofit organizations received grants from the Foundation during the first half of 2016 including the following recent grant recipients: 1Berkshire Strategic Alliance Foundation; Berkshire Community Action Council; Berkshire Family YMCA;  Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity; Bennington Museum and more.

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