We believe that being a good business means more than just making great stuff, it also means making the world a little bit better for everyone – and what better place to start than in our own backyard? While sales of many Blue Q products support specific large-scale nonprofits like Doctors Without Borders, Clean Air Task Force and the Transgender Law Center, those sales also support smaller organizations right in our own backyard. We partner with a lot of local folks on important programs here in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts, and make it a point to get away from our desks and shipping stations to get out there to help our neighbors with those projects. Every employee of Blue Q receives 16 hours of paid time per year to volunteer with any local group they feel is important to them. These hours can be used during the workday in whatever increments they’d like. Here are some of the ways in which we spend our time:
● It’s important to us to be a good neighbor, so we love to pitch in at community events. We’ve been involved with a local organization in our neighborhood called Westside Legends for a few years, helping out with block parties and participating in their now-annual Soap Box Derby, hosting workshops to help kids build their own soap box racers. We also work with our hometown all-volunteer group Pittsfield Beautiful, pulling weeds and planting flowers to beautify downtown and beyond.
● We have a staff of around 60 people which gives us the ability to lend helping hands wherever they can be put to use. That can mean working with the South Community Food Pantry to deliver meals to families all over town, cleaning and reorganizing at our local Humane Society or working with Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity to prepare affordable housing for families by painting steps, railings and porches.
● Our area offers a rich cultural experience that inspires us -- and that we’re proud to support. You can often find us downstairs at Blue Q’s headquarters, preparing decorations and installations for annual fundraising galas for Jacob’s Pillow Dance; Berkshire Art Center, a community-oriented school helping artists of all ages and skills to reach their potential; or Community Access to the Arts, which brings art workshops to the community with a focus on empowering folks with disabilities. We also support local cultural organizations by sitting on their boards of directors, and through financial donations.
