BerkShares Offers an Alternative, Local Currency | Connecting Point | July 21, 2020

As the economy opens back up, businesses across the US are experiencing a coin shortage. In a world that increasingly uses bank cards, Venmo, ApplePay and other online financial exchanges, clearly there’s still a place for physical money.
But did you know that there’s a part of western Massachusetts that has its own currency? Created in 2006, BerkShares is a local currency accepted at four hundred businesses in Berkshire County. The goal of this alternative currency is to keep capital in the region and strengthen the relationship between citizens and buyers.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Carrie Saldo sat down with BerkShares Coordinator Rachel Moriarty and Board Co-Chair Wendy Healey to find out more about this unique currency.