Wescom Credit Union and Its Members Raise Over $228,000 for Maui Wildfire Relief Efforts

Melissa Pederson

​Wescom Credit Union, one of the nation’s largest credit unions, announced today that its Foundation has raised more than $178,000 in member donations to help support those impacted by the Maui wildfires that decimated the island starting August 08, 2023. The Credit Union will match donations up to $50,000 for a total amounting to just over $228,000 – and counting. The Maui Fire Relief Campaign is now officially Wescom’s most successful donation campaign to date.
 
Within days of the Maui wildfires, Wescom sprung into action:

• On August 11, 2023, the Foundation launched a campaign asking members to donate to raise funds to support disaster relief efforts for those affected by the devastating wildfires in Maui, with a Credit Union match of total donations up to $25,000.
• In the four days following the start of the campaign, Wescom members generously donated over $100,000. Because of the overwhelming support, the Credit Union increased its match to $50,000.
• Additional donations will be accepted through September 17, 2023.

 
Wescom has been dedicated to helping build better lives for members, team members and communities in Southern California for nearly 90 years. Driven by the philosophy of “people helping people,” the charitable arm of the Credit Union, the Wescom Foundation, is dedicated to making the communities it serves a better place for all through strategic grantmaking and community engagement. Since 1999, the Foundation has raised an estimate of $4.4 million for community nonprofits.
 
“Our hearts go out to the people of Maui. As a Southern California based credit union, all too often our members and our communities have experienced the tragic losses that come from wild fires,” stated Melissa Pederson, Wescom Senior Vice President, Administration. “The outpouring of support from our members to the people of Maui has been incredible, and makes us so proud of our community’s empathy and unwavering generosity.”
 
The funds raised will directly support the following organizations:

• Hawai‘i Community Foundation: The Maui Strong Fund is providing financial resources that can be deployed quickly, with a focus on rapid response and recovery for the devastating wildfires on Maui. HCF is working in close collaboration with state and county leaders, nonprofit organizations, and community members to get an understanding of the quickly evolving priorities. Funding will support evolving needs, including shelter, food, financial assistance, and other services as identified by our partners doing critical work on Maui.
• Maui Food Bank: The Food Bank is working diligently to supply relief to those in need. This includes emergency donation collection and distribution sites. Maui Food Bank provides "safe and nutritious food" to anyone in Maui County who is at risk of going hungry, the organization says. Maui Food Bank also donates food to disaster relief efforts on the island. "With every $1 donated, the Maui Food Bank can provide 4 meals to the hungry living in our island community," the food bank pledges.
• National Credit Union Foundation: The CUAid Fund is accepting donations to assist with the wildfires devastating Western Maui.

 
This is not the first instance in which Wescom has encouraged members to support relief efforts outside of Southern California. Earlier this year, Wescom and its members raised more than $88,000 to provide relief for those affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Last year, the Credit Union and its members supported those impacted by the war in Ukraine, raising more than $114,000.
 
To learn more about the Wescom Foundation, please visit: wescom.org/About-Us/Foundation.

---