Greylock Donates to Community Partners in 2021

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Greylock Federal Credit Union has released its 2021 Community Impact Report
 
The report highlights many relationships held throughout the region to show members how their credit union invests in the community.
 
"This is more than just a report to sit on a shelf," said Greylock Senior Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer JamieEllen Moncecchi. "It is a story of the dedication and hard work put forward by our staff, Board of Directors and Members throughout the year to support our shared vision of a thriving community."
 
The stories reflect the Credit Union's commitment to the guiding principles of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility through company-wide learning and reflection, policy development, new products and services, and partnerships.
 
Greylock made cash donations of over $778,000 to area non-profit partners in 2021. The list of partners ranges from local Lions Clubs and after-school programs to the Berkshire Family YMCA and the United Ways of Berkshire County.
 
Greylock's continued COVID-19 response is also summarized in the document. Data shows that in the second year of the pandemic, Greylock supported 3,414 area jobs with Paycheck Protection Program loans, provided millions of dollars in loan deferrals for Members facing hardship and issued over $51 million to first-time home buyers to build for their future.
 
The Community Empowerment Center, which opened in 2018, grew to a dedicated five-person team with a branch-wide volunteer network of 29 certified financial coaches to meet the increasing need for services. The Center hosted 82 free seminars on everything from couponing to preparing for retirement. They also educated 2,805 area students on financial literacy, conducted 873 free financial coaching sessions and helped 204 immigrants enter the US banking system.
 
As a Certified Community Development Financial Institution, Greylock can be awarded federal funds to support the local economy. In 2021, Greylock was issued access to up to $23 million in emergency capital investment funding from the US Treasury (to be used over 30 years), $1.8 million in Rapid Response funds to help stabilize local households and businesses affected by the pandemic, and a $500,000 award to tackle issues of local poverty and economic mobility.
 

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200 Pittsfield Students Walk for Men's Mental Health

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Reader's note: This article discusses suicide and mental illness.
 


Judy and Paul Coty, left, their daughter Veronica, Matt Capeless and PHS Principal Maggie Esko at the Movember gathering.

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— Around 200 Taconic and Pittsfield high school students marched downtown to support men's health on Friday.

The third annual "Move for Movember" walk-a-thon raised money for mental health, as more than three of four suicides that occur in the United States are by men and boys. It also supported the Aaron T. Coty Memorial Scholarship, which honors a beloved student who died in 2015 after silently struggling with mental illness.

Each walker paid a $5 registration fee and was asked to raise an additional $20.

"I can still remember exactly where I was when I heard the news that Aaron died by suicide on Sept. 17, 2015. I could not believe it. It did not make sense. I didn't want to believe it but it was real, and it was something that we had to get through together," said Matt Capeless, Movember community ambassador and physical education and wellness teacher at Taconic High School.

"My friends and I struggled thinking about what we missed or what we could have done differently. We cried together and shared memories of the good times we had together. One thing was certain, we cannot go back in time."

Coty's family has attended suicide prevention walks for nine years and walked for Movember for the last three years.

"I wish Aaron had gotten help because we had no idea that he was struggling," his mother, Judy Coty, said.

"He was always smiling and happy and had tons of friends and was very outgoing and personable."

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