Freedom Credit Union seeks donations for Coalition for the Homeless

SPRINGFIELD — Through Jan. 31, Freedom Credit Union is inviting residents to donate money at any of its branches to support the mission of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless to create solutions to housing, income, health, education and racial inequalities.

“It’s heartbreaking to know some people are struggling with even the most basic necessities,” Freedom Credit Union President Glenn Welch said in a statement. “The Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless is doing critical work to take care of our neighbors and connect people with resources to get through the winter.”

The organization says its needs for the coming year are growing, as it expects to work with more than 1,500 low-income households who are either at risk of becoming homeless or are already experiencing homelessness.

“Every contribution helps,” Welch said. “Through the years, we have been humbled by the generosity of our community, and we are proud to be in a position to make a difference.”

Freedom Credit Union has branches across western Massachusetts, including in Greenfield and Turners Falls.

Info session to inform first-time homebuyers

GREENFIELD — Greenfield Cooperative Bank is hosting a free information session designed to equip first-time homebuyers with the knowledge and confidence to navigate the home-buying journey. Led by Missy Tetreault, vice president of mortgage originations, and Kim Gates, mortgage originator, the info session will provide insights from industry experts on various aspects of purchasing a home.

The session — which is for informational purposes only and does not offer a certificate of completion — will be held Thursday, Jan. 16, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Greenfield Community College’s Main Building, Classroom N247.

Attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of the home-buying process, from financing options to legal considerations. Some topics that will be covered include:

The Impact of Credit on Mortgages: Learn how a credit score influences an individual’s loan options and strategies to secure a favorable rate.

GCB’s FTHB Achieve and Attain Programs: Discover the benefits of GCB’s mortgage programs designed specifically for first-time homebuyers.

The Power of Pre-Approval: Understand how a pre-approval strengthens an offer and gives prospective buyers an edge in a competitive market.

Beyond Financing: Gain insights from guest speakers, including a real estate agent who will discuss home shopping strategies and a real estate attorney who will explain the purchase-and-sale contract and closing process.

Space is limited. For more information, visit greenfieldcoopbank.com/events.

Theater celebrating National Popcorn Day

GREENFIELD — The Garden Cinemas will celebrate National Popcorn Day on Sunday, Jan. 19, with discounted prices and special promotions.

Special offers at the Garden Cinemas include a buy-one-get-one-free sale on all size bags of popcorn and the second annual BYOB — Bring Your Own Bucket — promotion whereby the theater will fill and refill any movie-themed popcorn bucket that patrons bring from home with the purchase of a movie ticket.

National Popcorn Day will feature new releases including Universal’s “Wolf Man” and Paramount’s “September 5.” A Fathom event that day will celebrate the 40th anniversary of “The Goonies” at 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. Also, in its third of five weeks, the theater’s Clint Eastwood Film Festival will show four Eastwood films: “Letters From Iwo Jima” (2006), “J. Edgar” (2011), “The Eiger Sanction” (1975) and “A Fistful of Dollars” (1964). Clint Eastwood Film Festival buttons will be distributed to those who attend on National Popcorn Day while supplies last.

Meanwhile, the Garden Cinemas will use National Popcorn Day to roll out a loyalty program for 2025. Loyalty cards will award a free first-run movie to patrons who come to the theater regularly in 2025.

“We wanted to incentivize casual moviegoing again,” Garden Cinemas co-owner Angela Mass said in a statement. Ten movies represented 40% of all box office gross at the Garden Cinemas in 2024, which showed more than 200 different titles last year.