Boulder, Colo. (Source: Adobe Stock)
The Marshall Fire last week in Boulder County, Colo., left thousands of people displaced, at least two people missing and more than 1,000 homes and business destroyed. Credit unions in and around the area have been stepping up efforts to collect, donate and distribute money to help those impacted by the fire to rebuild their lives.
Elevations Credit Union, Canvas Credit Union, Credit Union of Colorado, Westerra Credit Union, Ent Credit Union and many others have been collecting donations or providing emergency financial relief, or a combination of both, for people who found their lives caught in the path of the 6,026-acre fire on Dec. 30.
The Boulder, Colo.-based Elevations ($3 billion in assets, 174,991 members) and the Elevations Foundation joined to match donations submitted through its website up to $200,000, with 100% of the funds going to provide relief for individuals and families.
The website stated, "Our hearts are broken for our friends and neighbors as we witness the magnitude of this tragedy unfold. In typical fashion, Elevations members and partners are anxious to provide critical support."
The Denver-based Westerra ($1.9 billion in assets, 112,682 members) has been collecting donations and said it will match funds up to $50,000 for the Boulder County Wildfire Fund.
To the south, the Tempe, Ariz.-based TruWest Credit Union ($1.4 billion in assets, 91,000 members) announced it donated $25,000 to the fire relief efforts.
"We were shocked and saddened to see this devastating fire rage through the south Boulder, Colo., area and knew we wanted to send support," President/CEO Alan Althouse said. "It's what we do as a credit union – we step up, reach out and support in any way we can."
According to a statement from TruWest, the donation was split between Elevations and the Elevations Foundation, and Canvas and the Canvas Foundation for $12,500 each. The statement read, "Both organizations will match these donations helping amplify the total to $50,000. Elevations Foundation will work with local agencies to provide assistance to the fire victims while the Canvas Foundation is working through the American Red Cross. All funds raised will provide immediate assistance through food, temporary housing, gas, transportation and insurance deductibles."
Links to donation information pages can be found here:
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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.
