Inclusiv is proud to announce that it has distributed $250,000 in Hurricane Fiona relief to employees of and volunteers for Puerto Rico’s cooperativas and credit unions, thanks to the generous support of the National Credit Union Foundation’s (“The Foundation”) CUAid disaster relief fund. Since the Foundation announced its deployment of CUAid funding on September 26, Inclusiv has reviewed and funded 544 applications for relief from employees of 27 institutions affected by Hurricane Fiona.
After Hurricane Fiona made landfall, Inclusiv responded quickly and in close coordination with a coalition of local partners that includes the Asociación de Ejecutivos de Cooperativas de Puerto Rico (ASEC), The Liga de Cooperativas de Puerto Rico (LIGA), and the Public Corporation for the Supervision and Insurance of Cooperatives (COSSEC). This coalition worked together to survey local credit unions and assess the damage despite difficult conditions and intermittent communications. The information raised was indispensable to adequately estimate the support needed and allowed Inclusiv to work with The Foundation to address the needs on the ground.
Cooperativa employees and volunteers requested financial aid to cover extraordinary expenses for food, gasoline, transportation, damage to appliances, electric infrastructure, loss of their roofs, and other costs associated with the emergency. The devastation caused by Hurricane Fiona, and the economic and collective cost that the catastrophe imposed on the employees and volunteers of the cooperative system were reflected in the applications. “We are grateful for the work they have done for their communities, even in the face of great personal challenges,” said René A. Vargas Martínez, director, Puerto Rico network at Inclusiv.
“CUAid is the living embodiment of our people helping people philosophy,” said André Parraway, the Foundation’s chief financial and operations officer. “When disaster strikes, the credit union movement responds.”
“We value our strong collaboration with the National Credit Union Foundation that enabled us to quickly deploy resources to help employees of credit unions impacted by Hurricane Fiona. We’re fortunate to have access to a platform like CUAid that is ready to respond and support people on the ground on short notice. It has been a physical and emotionally exhausting task for the Inclusiv team who reached out to hundreds of individuals to identify their needs and respond accordingly. This is people helping people in its purest example.” said Pablo DeFilippi, executive vice president of Inclusiv/Network.
Both individuals and organizations may donate to CUAid, and we encourage credit unions to donate. The restricted nature of the fund ensures that every penny donated goes directly to supporting credit unions, their staff and volunteers recover from catastrophic events. For those interested in supporting Hurricane Fiona relief, please contact Pablo DeFilippi as Inclusiv is managing funds disbursement with partners on the ground.
