Greylock Federal Helps New Americans Attain ITIN

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. Immigrants who do not have a social security number are required to have an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to actively participate in the U.S. financial system and apply for loans, such as credit cards, auto loans and mortgages, as well as to pay their taxes.
 
While some agencies or organizations may charge hundreds of dollars to help an immigrant apply for an ITIN, the service is free of charge at Greylock.
 
"At Greylock, we know that our new Americans comprise one of our fastest growing member sectors. It's absolutely vital that we provide them with safe and affordable financial services to support their goals for both the present and future," said President and CEO John Bissell.
 
According to a press release, since 2019, the credit union has helped more than 1,800 individuals obtain an ITIN. In 2023, Greylock's Certified IRS ITIN Agents helped submit 602 ITIN applications to the IRS, opening the door to financial resources for community members who need this access to support their financial wellness.
 
While not every new ITIN recipient will apply for a loan through Greylock, many have utilized these resources. Through Greylock's lending programs, members have access to tailored lending products such as a Credit Builder Loan, Borrow and Save Loan, Lifeline (a small dollar installment loan), New Road Loans for new and used vehicles, and most recently, ITIN mortgages.
 
Since 2019, Greylock has approved over 2,000 ITIN loan applications for over $27 million. In 2023, Greylock approved 660 ITIN loan applications for $7,172,409, and the credit union is on pace to exceed those numbers in 2024.
 
"Of course, we are thrilled with those numbers," Bissell added, "but what excites me the most personally is that each one of those ITIN loan applications represents a new American who is working hard to achieve their American Dream."
 
To learn more about Greylock's ITIN offerings, email Bob Maxwell, Senior Content Producer, at bmaxwell@greylock.org.

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Pittsfield Municipal Airport Gets New Logo

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A new logo is ready for takeoff at the Pittsfield Municipal Airport.

The Airport Commission last week approved a cleaner design that depicts a jet flying over a green mountainscape. It is a far cry from the former branding, which had more than 10 saturated colors.

"Our current logo has probably 13 colors in it, which is difficult to do anything with.  It was formatted in a way that we really didn't have much control over how to use it," Airport Manager Daniel Shearer said.

"We were aiming for something that represented Pittsfield and Berkshire County."

It will be rolled out on new materials and signage as updates are made, he reported.

Commissioner Debra Miersma explained that the former logo was an artifact from the former century. She and Shearer worked with local graphic designer Adam Hitt to deliver a "bright and fresh" design that speaks to the current airport — not what it was in the 1970s or 1980s.

"New logos typically have a lot more clean, white space," she said.

"We took a look at logos from other airports that are smaller as well as  larger so this was done with actually quite a lot of thought."

Commissioner Michael Mah was the lone vote in opposition, as he didn't feel the logo represented general aviation (GA) because it shows a jet.

"At the risk of getting booed, I look at this and it says to me, at least, 'We're very happy to see large corporate jets,' but I don't see anything where we're talking about a smaller GA plane coming in," he said.

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