The Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions is building upon its long tradition of providing relief to credit unions reeling from natural disasters by launching Project Storm Break—an annual campaign to establish a forward-prepared disaster fund.
The Worldwide Foundation — the international and charitable arm of World Council of Credit Unions — seeks to establish a reserve fund of $100,000 that can be tapped to help impacted credit unions in the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster.
Donations can be made on the Project Storm Break campaign page or by texting the keyword “STORMBREAK” to 44-321.
“This is the first time we are proactively asking for donations from individuals and institutions who see value in getting ahead of the storm, because it’s not a matter of if, but when, the next disaster will strike,” said Mike Reuter, executive director of the Worldwide Foundation. “Past relief campaigns have put out the call worldwide after a disaster, but invariably, people on the ground are suffering within minutes or hours of a storm, earthquake or fire. Having the resources on hand to send immediately, or even in advance to credit union systems so they can be more proactive, is central to Project Storm Break’s purpose.”
A formal launch of Project Storm Break will take place at the 2019 World Credit Union Conference (WCUC 2019) in The Bahamas, July 28-31, in partnership with the Caribbean Confederation of Credit Unions. Generous contributors will be recognized on stage with their global peers at WCUC 2019.
Credit union disaster relief response has always been a core pillar of purpose for the Worldwide Foundation. Since 2015, relief efforts have raised more than $350,000 to assist credit unions responding to disasters in Nepal, Ecuador, Dominica and Puerto Rico.