"Give Back" is the New Black: Berkshire Money Management Launches Campaign to Support Giving Tree Holiday DriveFor Immediate ReleaseContact: John Krol, One Eighty Media 413-464-5830

Berkshire Money Management will support the 33 year old "Giving Tree" holiday clothing drive this year with a new publicity campaign urging area residents to help provide warm clothing for local children in need.

The new "Give Back" initiative, highlighting the needs of Berkshire Community Action Council's ELF Holiday Warm Clothing Program, will kick off with a bang on "Give Back Friday," formerly known as the retail shopping extravaganza "Black Friday," at 11 AM, November 29, at the program's Giving Tree station located near the entrance of JC Penney at the Berkshire Mall.

Volunteers, longtime donors and other members of the community will be on hand throughout the day to talk with media and the public about how they can help sponsor the Giving Tree's many names of children in need of gifts of warm winter clothing during the holiday season. Berkshire Money Management is sponsoring efforts to raise awareness about this important program through marketing efforts encouraging shoppers to give back to their community by reaching out to help just one of the hundreds of disadvantaged children in central Berkshire County in need of new winter coats, hats, shirts and other warm winter clothing.

For decades now the completely volunteer-based ELF Giving Tree drive overseen by the Berkshire Community Action Council has been able to find businesses and individuals at all levels to help sponsor thousands of children of income-eligible families locally to receive anonymous gifts of new, child-specific warm winter clothing during the holiday season. Many hundreds are accounted for early on through substantial donations by local businesses, and many hundreds more by individual sponsors who select envelopes with one or more child's first name, age, sizes, color and specific clothing needs, which they then shop for and bring the items back to the annual Giving Tree table at the Berkshire Mall each year.

Through videos, photography, social media and other mediums, this campaign will shine a light on the need and show first hand how easy and rewarding it is to give back through the Giving Tree program. The campaign will also include new custom "I Gave Back" stickers, designed by One Eighty Media, to help participants let their friends know about the program, and as a token to let them know how much their contribution means to a grateful community. These will be given out to everyone who sponsors a child with new clothes or through a monetary donation, from Give Back Friday until the conclusion of the program December 22, or whenever all names are accounted for.

The Giving Tree table in the main alcove near the entrance to JC Penney at the Berkshire Mall is staffed by volunteers from 11AM to at least 8PM Monday through Saturday, and every Sunday 11-9PM, beginning on November 29.*