The 25,000-square-foot headquarters of the $406 million SecurityCredit Union sits across the street from the Flint River and abouta half mile from the water treatment plant of the city of Flint,Mich. Over the last several months, this small, strugglingindustrial city has been the subject of national headlines due tohigh hazardous levels of lead in its water system.

While the Flint water crisis is a serious public health problem,particularly for children, Chad Merrihew, senior vice president andCOO for Security, said the national media coverage has beensomewhat sensationalized by some national media outlets.

Although the credit unions headquartered in the city of Flintand those cooperatives based just outside of Flint have not hadwater quality problems in their facilities, the cooperatives haveorganized efforts to help those that have been directly affected bythe water crisis. What's more, credit unions across Michigan andoutside the state have also chipped in to help.