“It affords them the opportunity to own and start to begin to build some equity in an asset that is truly theirs at a price point that is maybe more manageable than just paying rent,” Russell said. “It gives them a sense of ownership, pride, equity and then they truly are invested in the community.” Renee Salinas took advantage of the ITIN loan after family and friends told him about it. Speaking through Martinez as an interpreter, Salinas said he first thought it would be a difficult process but quickly discovered he could complete it with relative ease. Salinas, who owns three restaurants including Logansport’s Mi Mexico at 3101 E. Market St., said the loan opened many doors for him and helped him to start building credit. The bank has been making a solid push to serve its local international population by hiring bilingual employees, modifying traditional programs to meet the needs of new demographics and printing forms in different languages. They also formed a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force in 2021. “That [task force] is represented by a member of our team that lives in and/or works in our market area, so whether that be Lafayette or Kokomo or Carroll County,” Russell said. “And now we are entering into Hamilton County and Boone County. So being aware of the demographics of those communities — obviously as you enter into larger communities, the population is more diverse. We have tried to stay in touch, too, with the developments in Kokomo as far as the Korean potential for immigration [due to the incoming battery plant] and how we can adapt to their needs. It’s really just maintaining that awareness of the financial practices of different cultures.” Martinez said many people believe they won’t be eligible for the ITIN program and are afraid to stop by the bank and inquire about it. “I just encourage people to come here and ask questions,” he said. “They will probably be surprised, and we will end up being able to help them. Even if for some reason we can’t do it right now, we can still help put you on the right track so maybe you could come back in a few months or in a year, and then you will be able to qualify for that loan.” This article was originally published in the May 2024 inaugural issue of Diversity Magazine, a publication of the Logansport Pharos-Tribune. Republished with permission. Josh Flynn Staff Reporter Logansport Pharos-Tribune Josh.Flynn@PharosTribune.com Mi Mexico restaurant, owned by Salinas, located at 3101 E. Market St., Logansport. Josh Flynn enjoys writing about education, the arts and local theater. JULY/AUGUST 2024 17
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