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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Pittsfield Firefighters Snuff Cellar Blaze

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Firefighters extinguished a fire in a West Housatonic Street in about 20 minutes. 
 
The blaze started near a dryer but the cause was being investigated.
 
The department responded to the call of smoke in a building at about 12:23 p.m. on Sunday. Upon arrival, firefighters found a light smoke showing from the front and back of the building. 
 
The found an active fire in the basement of the 2 1/2-story, wood-frame structure at 92 West Housatonic, which is being rented as a single-family occupancy.
 
Engine 1 crew advanced a 1 3/4-inch hose to the rear of the building, entered the bulkhead access to the cellar, and conducted suppression activities. Engine 3 crew conducted a primary search of the building. Engine 6 secured a water supply to E1 and Tower 1 ventilated the building. Engine 5 responded as the Rapid
Intervention Team for firefighter safety.
 
The fire was under control and extinguished in 20 minutes. At the time of this writing there were no civilian or firefighter injuries reported. 
 
Fire damage was confined to the laundry area in the cellar with the dryer unit, clothing, and household cleaning supplies sustaining damage. There was minimal smoke damage with the entire building being ventilated in short order.
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