Gesa Credit Union teams with American Red Cross to protect Northwest Homes and promote home fire safety
Campaign designed to raise money, identify volunteers, and to install smoke alarms in the homes of those in need
RICHLAND, WA (April 5, 2024) — Gesa, a community-focused credit union, is partnering with the American Red Cross Northwest region to support the “Sound the Alarm (STA). Save a Life.” campaign, which provides free smoke alarms to those in need and educates the public about home fire safety. Gesa is encouraging the community to join its efforts by donating and volunteering for the campaign if they are able, in order to help keep more community members safe.
“Everyday families throughout the Northwest are tragically affected by home fires. That’s why our volunteers and staff work to not only deliver vital services, like providing relief and support to those in a crisis, but also to help the public feel prepared to respond in times of disaster,” said Hannah Christen, Red Cross Regional Preparedness Manager. “This national initiative has helped thousands of people in the Northwest over the last 10 years, and we couldn’t have done it without the help of our volunteers and the generosity of our donors.”
From now until May 3, community members can visit a Gesa branch or go to gesa.com to donate money to the STA campaign, which will be used to help communities across the Northwest prepare for, respond to, and recover from house fires. The credit union will provide a matching donation of up to $10,000.
Additionally, Gesa team members will volunteer to help with installing free smoke alarms and providing home fire safety education to community members who sign up for a free home visit with their local Red Cross here. The campaign is still in need of additional volunteers, especially individuals that are bilingual. To become a volunteer, community members can sign up here.
Every day, an average of seven people in the U.S. die in home fires, often in homes without working smoke alarms. Since the campaign began in 2014, more than 2.5 million free smoke alarms have been installed and more than 1 million households have been made safer across the country, resulting in more than 2,000 confirmed lives being saved.
“We are honored to partner annually with the American Red Cross Northwest region on this vital campaign. Our joint efforts not only aid those in need but also contribute to a broader initiative aimed at enhancing household safety and preventing fires across the Northwest,” said Amber Merrill, Community Relations Manager at Gesa Credit Union. “Since the start of the program, American Red Cross has helped thousands of people and installed free smoke alarms to millions of households. Our team at Gesa is proud to support these efforts that will undoubtedly save more lives each year.”
Each year, the American Red Cross Northwest region assigns a signature city for the STA campaign, where the non-profit will allocate more time and resources during the campaign. This year, the signature city selected is Aberdeen, Washington.
For more information about Gesa Credit Union visit www.gesa.com. For more information about the Sound the Alarm Campaign, visit redcross.org/sound-the-alarm.
About Gesa Credit Union
Gesa Credit Union is one of Washington’s largest credit unions with over $5.5 billion in assets and is nearly 290,000 members strong. Gesa is a full-service financial institution that offers a complete array of consumer, mortgage, and business products and services. Headquartered in Richland, Washington, Gesa operates 29 branches, loan centers, full-service student-operated campus branches at Washington State University, and 13 student-operated high school branches across Washington state. The Gesa Community Foundation, established in 2022, further supports Gesa’s ongoing commitment to local communities and charitable giving, which includes support for schools, Local Heroes groups, and community organizations through its Affinity Debit Card Program, as well as through its annual youth scholarships, and free financial and educational resources available to members and the general public. For more information, visit gesa.com.
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
