The Williamstown Community Chest has launched its Annual Fundraising Campaign for 2011-2012. Supporting local agencies in Northern Berkshires for generations, they once again are seeking the generous support of its local neighbors and business partners to help reach another successful campaign goal.

The Williamstown Community Chest theme of “Creating Community” has been an important driving factor during its 85 year existence. Never has this been more apparent than its support of The Spruces Park this fall. After the disastrous effects of tropical storm Irene, the Community Chest made a contribution of $10,000 to help establish “The Community Fund for The Spruces”, along with local churches, banks, and businesses. Over $85,000 in small grants were made available to assist displaced residents with the necessities and funds to move forward.

According to Linda Conway, president of the board, “The Community Chest is blessed to have an emergency fund that can be called on at times of crisis in the community. We were happy to be part of the launching of the Community Fund for the Spruces and to serve on the Coordinating Committee for disbursement of Fund grants.”

Along with its annual Community “Fun Run” and the “Penny Social”, a cornerstone of Williamstown’s festive Holiday Walk, the Williamstown Community Chest is an active volunteer driven effort. One of only a few such remaining organizations in the country, they believe in the importance of supporting the important work of the many non-profit agencies that serve our community.

This year’s fundraising goal is $250,000, with one hundred percent of funds raised directly serving all of their 15 member agencies. Agencies the Community Chest benefits are: The Berkshire County American Red Cross, Berkshire Children and Families, Brien Center for Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services, Child Care of the Berkshires, Ecu-Health Care, Elder Services of Berkshire County, Elizabeth Freeman Center, Equus Therapeutic, Inc., Family Life Support Center, Little Red Schoolhouse, Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, Northern Berkshire YMCA, United Cerebral Palsy, Williamstown Community Preschool, and the Williamstown Youth Center.
As in years past, any first time donor’s support will be matched through a special gift. The co-chairs for this year’s campaign are Laurie Marrs and Rich Alley.

To learn more about how the Williamstown Community Chest, its agencies, and how you can support the campaign, contact the Community Chest at 413.458.2443 or visit their newly designed website at www.williamstowncommunitychest.org.

The Fourth Annual Community Chest 5K + 1 Mile Walk cheerfully celebrated Youth Volunteers in our midst. Over 50 young women and men donned bright gold I VOLUNTEER shirts to assist in the morning’s events. These helpful beacons registered folks, delivered signs, blew up balloons, happily monitored the route, and pitched in enthusiastically all morning. Despite a persistent drizzle, the rain stayed at bay for our festivities. Music by Eric Kerns provided the perfect rousing backdrop to the buzz of activity! Over 100 5K and 1K participants gathered at Poker Flats to enjoy goodies generously donated from Wild Oats, Nature’s Closet, Big Y and the Community Chest Board. The 5K and 1 mile event drew participants from our community, Williams, and surrounding areas. The finalists were presented with original pottery medals and mugs beautifully handcrafted, and kindly donated, by Hilary Greene. Many thanks to the timing crew expertly directed by Brian Gill and Tamara Hitchcock. Liz Costley, former board member and Volunteer of the Year, eloquently honored our young volunteers with insight and heart. Her tribute can be found on our site with a listing of our Youth Volunteers. Volunteer photographers, Aldo Gonzalez and Laurie Marrs, captured the energy and excitement of the morning. Stretching techniques and pilates consultations were thoughtfully provided by Lauren Gotlieb, founder of Studio b. Thanks to many hands and participants the Fourth Annual Community Chest Fun Run was a terrific success!

The Community Chest Fun Run continues to be a tradition embracing the unique and wonderful character of our community. Neighbors and friends of all ages actively engaging to CREATE COMMUNITY. Many thanks to everyone involved. A final round of applause for Team Run, the machine behind it all: Bernadette Archibald, Mike Goodwin, Laurie Marrs, Laurie Riley, Anne Singleton and Jill Strawbridge.

Community Chest Fun Run 2011 | Youth Volunteers
Thomas Schoorlemmer, John Driver, Cole Hughes, Jake Foehl, Patrick Archibald, Carter Stripp, Ian Brink, Judah Devadoss, Mike Strizzi, Grace Singleton, Ellie Williams, Elizabeth Bernardy, Mackenzie Hitchcok, Stephanie Adamczyk, Katelin Markland, Hannah Witter, Sam Swoap, Hannah Merrill, Emma Whittum, Olivia Gravel, Celeste Gravel, Emily Shanley, Reeves Strawbridge, Karen McComish, Elena Capliner Daisy Troop, Jacob Rossiter, Ted Burdick, Mike Munzer, Frank Rickus, Andrew Rickus, Katie Swoap, Rory Brown, Laura Nolan, Eric Hirsch Dan Flynn, Emmett Shepard, Jake Benzinger, Connor Daley, Carter Cummings

The Williamstown Community Chest honored Paula Consolini as the Volunteer of the Year at its 84th Annual Meeting on May 19th at the Williams Inn. Her volunteer service includes work for the town, local schools, nonprofit organizations and her church. The full text of her citation follows:

Paula Consolini knows her place in the world: to make the world a better place. A Williamstown resident for twenty-one years, Paula is employed at Williams College as the Coordinator of Experiential Education, a role that encourages students to “learn by doing” outside the classroom. Courses with an experiential learning component provide students with guided opportunities to encounter first-hand the issues they read and study about, requiring them to apply academic learning to non-academic settings and to integrate those challenges and opportunities in unique and holistic ways, creating volunteers and citizens that will create the leaders of tomorrow.

In her private life, Paula is committed to those same ideals and leads by example. In her twenty-one years in Williamstown, she has served on the Board of the Berkshire Food Project, was Chair of the Williamstown School Committee, served on the Building Committee for the Williamstown Elementary School, and is one of the founders and organizers of “Sundays at Six.” She serves on the Building Committee at Mount Greylock Regional High School and on the Williamstown Finance Committee. She also is an active parishioner at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Williamstown, serving on various committees, teaching Sunday School, and helping with the parish’s Youth Ministry activities.

Paula will jump in wherever she is needed and infuses whatever she does with a smile and a positive, can-do attitude that energizes the people around her. She is reliable, intelligent, creative, fearless, and has a knack for bringing people together by recognizing their gifts and appreciating their contributions.

The Williamstown Community Chest is proud to name Paula Consolini the 2011 Volunteer of the Year.

The Williamstown Community Chest, in partnership with the Fund for Williamstown, the Chamber of Commerce and the Northern Berkshire Interfaith Clergy, has announced the creation of the Community Fund for the Spruces at Williamstown Savings Bank.

The Community Chest made a $10,000 grant to the new fund from its Emergency Fund. All donations to the Fund will assist residents of the Spruces with necessities in the weeks and months ahead following the devastation of Hurricane Irene.

Donations may be made to “Community Fund for the Spruces” at Williamstown Savings Bank, 795 Main Street; The Community Chest, PO Box 204; or area churches.

Overseeing the Fund will be a coordinating committee including Linda Conway, Chair of the Community Chest Board; Liz Costley, Chair of the Fund for Williamstown; Carrie Bail, Pastor of the First Congregational Church representing the Northern Berkshire Interfaith Clergy; Judy Giamborino, Executive Director of the Williamstown Chamber of Commerce; and Anne Singleton, Executive Director of the Community Chest.

Tom Sheldon, Chair of the Williamstown Board of Selectmen, is helping in the formation of the Fund, the idea for which came from John Law, President of Williamstown Savings Bank. The Bank has made a donation to seed the fund. Sheldon said he is deeply gratified by the responses of the organizations. “All of the approached organizations responded immediately and enthusiastically in this effort to help our neighbors.”

The First Congregational Church, several other faith-based organizations and the Red Cross have helped with immediate needs, as has the Spruces Tenants Association through its relief fund. The new Community Fund for the Spruces will raise and distribute money to meet both short-term and intermediate needs of displaced residents, such as temporary housing, resettling costs and basic survival requirements.

The Williamstown Community Chest is embarking on its 85th annual fund drive, proceeds from which benefit 15 service agencies in Northern Berkshire. These agencies serve a wide variety of needs within the Williamstown community and the region.

The efforts of these member agencies can be seen all around us: activities and day care for children; help with independent living and nutritional and transportation needs for seniors; medical assistance for those with little or no insurance. Taken individually or as a whole, providing these services makes us the nurturing, caring, and compassionate community we aim to be.

Regrettably, the current economic situation may take significantly more time to recover. Many family incomes have been reduced and governmental support for some agencies has been dramatically curtailed. At the same time, the numbers of local citizens who depend on these agencies has increased.

We ask that you help the providers by pledging and contributing as much as you can to the Williamstown Community Chest, for the sole benefit of our member agencies. Fortunately, the administrative costs of the Community Chest are covered 100% through the generosity of benefactors from years past. This generosity also allows us to maintain a small Emergency Fund, which has been used in recent weeks to allocate $10,000 to the Community Fund for The Spruces, designed to provide short-term assistance to those who were displaced by the hurricane flooding.

Please take a moment to reflect on the needs of others and then lend your support to the $250,000 Community Chest goal for 2011-12. Contributions may be made online. We will see that your investment in our community reaches those who need it most.

Sincerely,

Laurie Marrs and Rich Alley, Campaign Co-Chairs

The Williamstown Community Chest is pleased to announce they will sponsor their Fourth Annual Fun Run on Saturday, September 24, 2011. This community event consists of two races: 5K Run and a 1-mile Kid’s Run/ Family Walk. The Fun Run races are open to everyone; veteran runners or first time runners, along with daily walkers or occasional walkers. Families with pets and strollers are also welcome to join the fun.

Both race events begin at 10am at Williams College Cole Field House/ Poker flats, off Park Street. This is the same route used in last year’s race.

Registration will be at 9am the day of the race. A printable registration form is available at www.williamstowncommunitychest.org. The cost for the 5K race is $15.00 per runner and for the 1Mile Walk/Run $15.00 per individual or per walking family. Students and Seniors are $5.00. Youth Yolunteers Run/Walk FREE!

The members of the Community Chest’s board are excited to offer this active event again. In the spirit of our community, this year’s Fun Run will celebrate the wonderful youth volunteers in our midst and the energy and passion they bring to every occasion!  Join us for great music, balloons, snacks, stretching with Studio B founder Lauren Gotlieb & fun  give-aways from Nature’s Closet.

For over 82 years the Williamstown Community Chest has provided funding to local agencies and organizations that serve Northern Berkshire County. They accomplish this through the generosity of business community contributions and private individual donations.

Map of Route

For additional information or questions, please call 458-2443 or visit www.williamstowncommunitychest.org.

The Williamstown Community Chest honored Peter Mehlin as the volunteer of the year at its 83rd Annual Meeting on May 20th at the Williams Inn. The Community Chest board of directors chose Mr. Mehlin from nominees submitted by the community and the board.

He is recognized for his dedication to the community through his presence and active participation in a variety of volunteer efforts. Mr. Mehlin organizes the annual book sale for the Friends of Milne Library and has served as that organization’s president He is currently a trustee of the Milne Library. He shelves books at the Williamstown Elementary School library on a regular basis.

Mr. Mehlin works as an admission/information volunteer at the Clark Art Institute, volunteers one night per week at Images Cinema, ushers at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, and is a board member of Wild Oats Co-op. He is an advocate for all pets and adopts rescue, shelter, and foster dogs and cats regularly. He is also involved in the Humane Run.

Mr. Mehlin has received other community awards including the Cultural Ambassador Award from the Berkshire Visitors Bureau, The Scarborough Award and the Salvation Army Community Service Award.

The Volunteer of the Year Award is presented in grateful memory of Edith and Adolph Salomon who came to Williamstown in 1939, having fled Nazi Germany. In gratitude for the community that had provided them a refuge and home for more than 50 years, the Salomons left a bequest to the Community Chest that covers all overhead costs, thus assuring that all contributions are devoted to the member agencies. In turn, the Community Chest expresses its gratitude to the Salomons by honoring members of the Community who volunteer their time and talents to make Williamstown a better place in which to live.