VACAVILLE, Calif.–The Travis Credit Union Foundation is reporting it has raised more than $1 million for the COVID-19 Relief Initiative, which was matched by Travis Credit Union for a total of $2 million.
Those funds will be distributed to 83 local community organizations, many who are providing resources and services to individuals and families impacted by the pandemic.
Travis Credit Union matched every dollar raised by the Travis Credit Union Foundation up to $20,000, for a maximum of $40,000 total per agency. The campaign culminated on Sept. 30.
“We focused where we know funds would immediately recirculate and strengthen communities, creating authentic community impact and financial wellness,” said Damian Alarcon, president of the Travis Credit Union Foundation. “We will continue seeking more resources to help non-profits survive and innovate as we all prepare for the ‘new normal’ in the aftermath of COVID-19.”
Travis CU said The Leaven was the first of many organizations participating in this initiative to raise the full $20,000 and receive a $20,000 matching gift from Travis Credit Union.
‘Funds are Crucial’
“We greatly appreciate this grant as these important funds are crucial,” stated Mark Lillis, executive director of The Leaven. “We lost two of our fundraisers from not being able to meet with COVID-19. Without these emergency funds, we would not be able to have the financial resources to remotely assist the hundreds of students who were left with very little educational assistance while the school season was terminated.”
The Travis Credit Union Foundation said it is dedicated to lifting communities through financial wellness.
“While business shutdowns, self-quarantines and “shelter in home” orders have kept people safe from the virus, they have also limited the capacity of families to access income, food and much needed resources,” the organization said. “Community organizations are continuing to provide more services with less resources. The Travis Credit Union Foundation launched the COVID-19 Relief Initiative to help meet this demand for support in our communities.”
Susan Starkweather Stone and Terri Russell of Empower Yolo, one of the grant recipients of the Travis Credit Union Foundation’s COVID-19 Relief Initiative.