SANTA MARIA, Calif. — On Giving Tuesday, CoastHills Credit Union directed $10,500 of donations to organizations that directly help those affected by the coronavirus and further challenged others to join the effort throughout this holiday giving season.
“As a member-owned financial institution, we have worked very hard to provide our members support in the way of loan forbearance and flexibility with payments during the pandemic,” CoastHills President/CEO Paul Cook said. “Additionally, it’s very important that we continue to provide funding for the crucial local organizations helping our communities get through this difficult time. We hope Giving Tuesday can help inspire others to join in. We certainly are not stopping with today’s donations.”
To date this year, CoastHills and its employees have been responsible for $117,875 of support overall to local nonprofits.
The Credit Union’s Giving Tuesday efforts include $5,000 to Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo (CAPSLO), an organization helping local families, seniors, veterans and more achieve economic stability through a variety of social and housing programs.
“CAPSLO has been serving San Luis Obispo County for 55 years helping our most vulnerable residents become self-sufficient, through the life-cycle, from newborns to seniors in the community,” said CAPSLO CEO Elizabeth “Biz” Steinberg. “It is an honor to receive this support from such a community-centered organization like CoastHills Credit Union. This donation will not only help us secure a match from an anonymous family but will provide 250 shelter nights for the many people that seek our services each night at our 40 Prado Homeless Services Center.”
CoastHills also donated $3,000 to the Allan Hancock College Student Emergency Fund and $2,500 to San Luis Obispo Food Bank.
The trio of donations are in addition to separate November donations of $5,000 to Santa Barbara County Veterans Stand Down and more than $2,600 in the form of 200 turkeys to the Food Bank of Santa Barbara County.
The Hancock donation expands on a recent CoastHills tradition of members of the board helping guide sponsorships to local organizations making a difference in the lives of those in need on the Central Coast.
This month, longtime Credit Union director and 2020 Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year Hugh Rafferty helped CoastHills present a $5,000 donation to Santa Barbara County Veteran’s Stand Down for its drive-through Veteran’s Day grab bag giveaway.