Credit unions help wildfire relief efforts in a big way

We don’t shy away from being a VERY vocal supporter of credit unions. Afterall, they are why we do what we do at MoveCU.

But just as we are supporters of credit unions, credit unions are big supporters of their communities. It’s one of the reasons we love them so much, and it’s also why when the western part of the country started experiencing an excess of wildfires in recent years, credit unions started stepping in in a big way.

While we sure we won’t be able to honor them all, we wanted to take the time to highlight a few great credit unions who did truly good deeds when their communities needed them most.

The 2021-2022 Marshall Fire - Elevations Credit Union

Starting shortly before 10:30 a.m. on December 30, 2021, the Marshall Fire spread to over 6,200 acres before it was finally contained. While the range of the fire was seemingly-small compared to the giant devastating fires we’ve seen as of late, it was seen as Colorado’s most destructive in terms of structures lost - including many homes. Elevations Credit Union decided to step up and help in a big way. In total, they raised $1,092,582 - $100,000 of which was straight from the credit union itself.

The 2021 Bootleg Fire - Pacific Credit Federal Credit Union

Starting on July 6, 2021, the Bootleg Fire burned 413,765 acres making it the third largest wildfire Oregon has seen since 1900. Pacific Credit Federal Credit Union stepped in, hosting a giant food drive collection and offering (literal) truckloads of relief to local community members.

The 2020 Pacific Northwest Fires - Rogue Credit Union & Many More

In the Pacific Northwest, entire towns were leveled by the wildfires of 2020. In response, Rogue Credit Union established the Southern Oregon Wildfire Relief Fund in support. In less than 72 hours, they were able to raise more than $190,000 with plans of contributing an additional $100,000 in matching funds. In total, they raised over $1 million in two weeks. Additional contributors were Advantis Credit Union who donated $15,000 to the American Red Cross Cascades Region, and many, many more.

The 2020 Santiam Fire - Maps Credit Union

When the historic wildfires in 2020 swept through Santiam Canyon creating the Santiam Fire, Maps Credit Union knew that it wasn’t just their members that were affected - it was their community as a whole. In response, they took action, reaching out to every one of their 1,200 members living in the affected area, doing welfare checks and offering support and then also going so far as to raise $110,000 - $50,000 of which was from the credit union itself. 100% of their donation went to relief efforts.

The 2020 California Wildfires - Redwood Credit Union

In 2020, California was victim to a brow-raising 9,917 forest fires that had burned 4,397,809 acres in California. The fires destroyed over 10,000 structures and cost over $12.079 billion in damages. Redwood Credit Union knew that they couldn’t just stand by and watch their communities suffer. In response, they started a 2020 fire relief fund. In total, they raised $424,420 to support the immediate needs of fire survivors.

The 2018 Carr Fire - Coast Central Credit Union

When the Carr Fire devastated a total of 229,651 acres, destroying at least 1,604 structures (at least 1,077 of which were homes), Coast Central Credit Union knew they had to help their communities. Altogether, they were able to donate $12,000 to fire relief efforts.

If you would like to donate to wildfire relief in your community, the Red Cross DisasterRelief fund is a good place to start.

About MoveCU Inc.

MoveCU is the nation’s first credit union loan marketplace. Now users can instantly find, compare, apply for, and get pre-approval online in minutes on loans from credit unions around the U.S. Using their intuitive industry-leading technology, MoveCU is giving America’s smallest financial institutions a bigger voice and breathing new life into the credit union movement. For more information, visit our homepage.