Greylock Federal Credit Union Provides Financial Literacy Resources

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. Greylock Federal Credit Union (FCU) is bringing financial literacy education to over 14,440 students and residents in Massachusetts. 
 
Students at 166 schools will have free access to Banzai, an online program and content library that allows users to practice real-world finance from the safety of their home or classroom using any internet-enabled device. Greylock FCU offers Banzai to all of the students in their field of membership areas which include Berkshire, Westfield, Southwick, Granville, Montgomery and Russell counties. 
 
"Thank you SO much for providing the Berkshire Country Day School students with the Banzai courses!" said teacher Kathy Shortelle at Berkshire Country Day School. "They enjoyed the Junior course and we will start the Teen course earlier in the year. We had two speakers, including Mike Fazio and they were wonderful! Thank you for opening up the financial world to our students. They now know the necessary vocabulary and know how important it is to save."
 
Through the Banzai online courses, students try out managing a budget, saving for a goal, and dealing with unexpected financial pitfalls. Teachers are able to easily monitor and grade student progress remotely. Other resources, which include articles, calculators, and personalizable Coach sessions, explain everything from the basics of filing your taxes to how health insurance
works. These resources are available at greylock.teachbanzai.com/wellness.
 
"Thanks to Greylock FCU, area students will now have access to a wide array of courses and resources designed to help prepare them for our increasingly complex world," said Morgan Vandagriff, co-founder of Banzai. "We wouldn't be able to provide these tools without their
support." 
 
Since 2010, Greylock FCU has worked with Banzai to build financial literacy in the community by investing time, money, industry experience, and a variety of credit union resources. Through their help, students have access to Banzai learning tools, virtual or in-classroom presentations from a Greylock FCU expert, and even class visits to a branch to see it all in person.
 
Banzai resources are used by over 75,000 teachers across the U.S. These educational tools align with Massachusetts' state curriculum requirements. After finishing the Banzai courses, users will know how to track where their money is and what it's for, recognize financial trade-offs, and plan for a financially sound future.
 
Teachers interested in using Banzai can visit greylock.teachbanzai.com or call 888-8-BANZAI.

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Companion Corner: Loki at Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a sweet and playful dog at the Berkshire Humane Society waiting for his new family.

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.

Loki is a little less than a year old and is a terrier/pit mix who has been at the shelter for about a month.

Canine caregiver and adoption counselor Simone Olivieri told us about Loki. 

"He is very friendly, very social. He loves every single human. He's good with other dogs. He's just a lovely, lovely puppy who has a few things that he could still work on. He is young and learning."

Loki was brought in because his former home didn't have enough time for him and wanted him to be able to have a family who could give him the attention he deserves.

"He was brought in just because they didn't have time to continue working with a puppy," she said. "So nothing, nothing too serious, really, just he needs someone who can give him a lot of time, because he really does need that time, that attention as he grows and matures and works on this training."

He is still young so he has a bit to learn and has been hard at work learning new things including potty training and playing with other dogs.

"He can get a little bit mouthy, so sometimes, when he gets excited with his toys, he mouths on your hands a little bit. So that's something that we're working on showing him just more appropriate uses of his mouth when he's tugging," Olivieri  said. "Also, he can be a little bit reactive when he is out on walks and he can see other dogs, he tends to want to bark, and it's all just out of excitement and wanting to go see the other dog. So these are a couple things that we are working on with him here at the shelter, and he's been doing really, really well." 

Loki loves to play and go outside and will need a family who will want to take him on lots of walks. He can do well with a dog his size with introduction but should not go to a home with cats. They also say children 10 and older because Loki can be a little jumpy.

"He is very active, and he loves to go on hikes and walks and a lot of playtime. So someone who can devote a lot of that time to him, because he just wants to adventure," she said. "He wants to do everything. And also he could work on some training. Someone who would also devote some time to doing some training classes and really working with him on some reactivity and some mouthiness."

Loki is a great friend to play with other dogs and also loves to tug on stuffed animals and play fetch. While you may have to train him, he loves to learn and will be a great student and snuggle buddy.

"He loves to play with other dogs. He's a very social boy. He adapts his play style really well to other dogs. He loves to go for walks. He loves to play tug. He loves his stuffies here. He likes to play fetch. He loves to learn. He really likes to train. He really likes to be with you. He gives really good eye contact, good engagement. He loves learning new things. And more than just learning, he loves doing it with people. He just likes spending time with people. He also really likes to cuddle. Once his daily exercise needs are met. He's like a really good snuggle buddy."

Loki loves to meet anyone and everyone and is excited for his new family.

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