Damages to the Caisse Populaire Sainte-Rose de Maniche permanent structure. Damages to the Caisse Populaire Sainte-Rose de Maniche permanent structure. (Source: WOCCU).

The Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions, the charitable arm of WOCCU, said it issued a $45,000 grant to assist six credit unions in Haiti with reopening and restarting services for members after a tragic earthquake struck the island in August, killing more than 2,200 people.

The money, issued through the Foundation's Project Storm Break program, was administered to the Association Nationale des Caisses Populaires Haitiennes (ANACAPH), an organization that represents more than 80 credit unions in Haiti. According to the Worldwide Foundation, ANACAPH used the $45,000 "to purchase, transport and distribute emergency tents, IT supplies and other operational equipment to the six credit unions located near the epicenter of the 7.2 magnitude earthquake."

Caisse Populaire Sainte Rose de Maniche (CPSRM), which lost four members in the earthquake and suffered major damage to its building, was able to restart operations soon after receiving the equipment from ANACAPH, according to the Foundation's announcement.

"We are operating in a tent on a school playground about 50 feet from our damaged building," Pierre Leon Etienne, general manager of CPSRM, said. "Our members have expressed a tremendous amount of gratitude that we are able to provide services to them during this crisis."

Plans are in the works to relocate the CPSRM building as the structural integrity of the building is being evaluated.

"All the credit unions helped by this Project Storm Break grant have a long way to go before they fully recover from the earthquake, but we are thankful our efforts have helped them get back to the business of serving their members," Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions Executive Director Mike Reuter said. "As assessments of the damage in Haiti continue, Worldwide Foundation will work with ANACAPH to determine a long-range relief campaign through Project Storm Break."

The Foundation asked for donations to the Project Storm Break fund to continue assisting in the relief and rebuilding efforts for credit unions in Haiti.

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Michael Ogden

Editor-in-Chief at CU Times. To connect, email at [email protected]. As Editor-in-Chief of CU Times since 2016, Michael Ogden has led the editorial team in all aspects of content strategy and execution, including the creation of the publication’s exclusive and proprietary research database of the credit union industry’s economic landscape. Under Michael’s leadership, CU Times has successfully shifted to an all-digital editorial product with new focuses on the payments, fraud, lending and regulatory beats. Most recently, he introduced a data-focused editorial product for subscribers that breaks down credit union issues into hard data, allowing for a deeper and more factual narrative for readers. In 2024, he launched the "Shared Accounts With CU Times" podcast, which offers a fresh, inside-the-newsroom perspective through interviews with leaders from the credit union industry and the regulatory world. He dives into pressing credit union issues, while revealing the personalities working behind-the-scenes to push the credit union world forward. His background includes years as a radio and TV anchor/reporter and a public relations and digital/social media manager, where he covered the food and music industries, as well as cooperatives and credit unions. Over the years, he has launched numerous exclusive video and podcast series, including a successful series of interactive backstage interviews with musicians at music festivals, showcasing his social media and live streaming production skills.