Berkshire’s Community Comeback Exceeds $5B Goal
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Program helps power revitalization projects and neighborhoods
Berkshire Bank’s Community Comeback program concluded by exceeding its $5 billion goal to lend and invest across the company’s markets. The bank launched the multi-year program as communities emerged from the pandemic in 2021.  Berkshire Bank invested in historic tax credits to help finance a development project on Hotel Street in Utica, New York, to revitalize a long-time dormant downtown corridor
The impact of the Community Comeback, which has been honored nationally as an exceptional demonstration of corporate responsibility, is a testament to the bank’s commitment to unlock the financial potential of the communities where its employees and clients live and work.
 Berkshire Bank worked with the Berkshire Innovation Center in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, to finance a set of solar arrays on its roof so it could help build a more environmentally resilient economy
The program focused on strengthening communities in four key areas: fueling small businesses; community financing and philanthropy; financial access and empowerment; and environmental sustainability. Highlights of its results include:
“As a values-guided organization for more than 175 years, Berkshire launched the Community Comeback to help transform the overall quality of life for the people and places we serve,” said Gary Levante, Chief Communication & Sustainability Officer. “Together, we redeveloped neighborhoods, helped consumers realize the dream of homeownership and created jobs across our markets. Beyond the impact in our communities, the Comeback contributed to our commercial performance, which created capacity to invest in our business, employees, clients, and shareholders,” he said.  Berkshire Bank invested in hundreds of local nonprofits through its Community Comeback, including grants to support the early childhood education nonprofit Square One in Springfield, Massachusetts.
The Community Comeback program was honored late last year with the prestigious Community Commitment Award by the American Bankers Association (ABA) Foundation for its positive impact on economic inclusion in our communities.
According to the ABA Foundation, Community Commitment Award recognizes banks’ extraordinary acts of service to support the people in their communities and grow their local economies — highlighting those who set the standard for community engagement nationwide. About Berkshire Bank Berkshire Bank is a relationship-driven, community-focused bank that delivers industry-leading financial expertise to clients in New England and New York and is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: BHLB), headquartered in Boston. With $12.3 billion in assets and 83 financial centers, the Bank provides a full suite of tailored banking solutions through its Commercial Banking, Retail Banking, Consumer Lending, Private Banking and Wealth Management divisions. For more than 175 years, Berkshire has delivered strength, stability and trusted advice to empower the financial potential of its clients and communities. Newsweek named Berkshire one of the Most Trustworthy Companies in America and one of America’s Best Regional Banks. To learn more, visit BerkshireBank.com and follow Berkshire on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. |
