SAN DIEGO — For victims of the devastating October wildfires, the online donations being generated across the U.S. by the National Credit Union Foundation under its new CUAid program are a godsend even if some of the grants appear small to homeowners, CU officials said here last week.
"We've had many of our members, some who lived in mobile home parks and lost their trailers, thank us for getting us those initial funds," said Kimberly Bianco, marketing manager at the $900 million First Future Credit Union of San Diego which reported 23 of its members lost homes.
Bianco said the process of obtaining the $1,000 NCUF grants has proved simple with a minimum of paperwork from the CU and the victim.
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Working with the California Credit Union League, NCUF said last week donations and pledges routed through CUAid to help wildfire victims have now soared past $144,000.
"Just this week NCUF received a $1,500 donation from the Florida Credit Union Foundation as well as several more donations and so we're hoping that by Thanksgiving the CUAid relief effort will reach $150,000," forecast Steve Bosack, deputy director of NCUF in Washington.
So far contributions and pledges have come from 27 states to help CU employees, volunteers and members who lost property in the fires.
CUAid, formally launched last August as a vehicle to provide a centralized location for disaster relief donations, was first activated to help the Association of Vermont Credit Unions and the World Council of Credit Unions raise relief funds for CUs damaged by a series of earthquakes in Peru.
The Vermont league had just signed an international partnership agreement with Peru credit unions, so the trade group asked NCUF to activate CUAid for that relief effort.
In California, the need became urgent once again when it became clear many CU members would be affected by the fires prompting the California League to start up CUAid on Oct. 24.
NCUF said 50 of the California contributions have been individual gifts made online through CUAid.coop with 49 as organizational donations. Some donations have been handled via wire transfer as well as by check.
The Texas Credit Union Foundation said last week it too had donated $5,000 to the fund, which it praised as a system working well for CUs across the U.S.
"Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the feedback told us that the credit union movement needed a streamlined system that would allow for a more efficient method of donating, and a faster way to get the funds to those who need help," said Jill Pharr, executive director of TCUF.
Bianco of San Diego's First Future said application of the NCUF online fund fits nicely into the CU's motto of supporting its members and demonstrating that mission in a realistic way.
At the peak of the fires, more than 950,000 southern California residents were evacuated and more than 2,400 homes and businesses destroyed.
"Our credit union located in a valley between two big fires on either side was spared but at one time there were a reported 71 fires in the region," recalled Bianco.
Overall, Bosack of NCUF stressed CUAid serves a vital purpose to participating CUs in showing members that "in their greatest time of need belonging to a credit union" pays off since a CU is there to help recover losses.
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