Salal Credit Union Supports Local Communities Across the Country

As soon as stay-at-home orders were instated to fend off the spread of COVID-19, schools and businesses had to temporarily close and lay-off employees. Food banks sprang into action, volunteers organized, donors opened their wallets, corporations made gifts, all in support of children who no longer received meals at school and their parents who were going to struggle to put food on the table. Food was the priority then but as evictions loom, millions of Americans are now worried about their home.

For many credit unions, helping low-income families with housing was a priority from the get-go. As lenders, often with close-knit connections to their communities, credit unions understand that once people have secured food, housing becomes the next priority. With a sound roof over their heads, families can focus on children’s well-being and parents can focus on keeping their job or finding a new one if they have been laid off.

Housing assistance is not new to credit unions; they have understood the importance of safe housing in their communities for years. Like Rebuilding Together, Salal Credit Union, based in Seattle, WA, believes that the wellbeing of families and individuals starts at home. However, whether it is due to economic hardship, natural disasters or other crises, many people lack quality housing that is essential to a happy, safe and healthy life.

Salal Credit Union is committed to serving as a much-needed resource to individuals living in unsafe and unhealthy homes and communities. Working with Rebuilding Together, Salal Credit Union has granted funds to provide critical home repairs, including roof repairs, siding replacements and plumbing updates to help low-income families maintain their homes and have a safe place to live. Through the Salal Foundation, Salal Credit Union has made this possible for communities in need across the country.

“Salal believes home security is a critical foundation to a family’s safety, health and happiness,” said Matt Vance, Salal Credit Union Vice President of Marketing and Communications. “As Salal’s member footprint continues to grow across the country, partnering with Rebuilding Together has enabled us to positively impact communities our members reside. We are pleased to work with Rebuilding Together and their affiliates to make these needed repairs possible.”  
In 2019, Salal Credit Union partnered with Rebuilding Together to provide critical repairs for seven homeowners and their families. In Poughkeepsie, the county seat in New York’s Dutchess County, Salal Credit Union repaired the roof and replaced siding on the home of a 70-year-old woman who is the primary caretaker for her four-year-old great-granddaughter. The leaky roof caused water to pool in their bedrooms and the rotting siding threatened the home’s barrier against cold winters. During another project with Rebuilding Together in Sacramento, California, the credit union built an accessibility ramp for a Marine Corps veteran living with a disability who could not safely get in and out of his home. We are pleased to announce that our work together will continue in 2020, as Salal Credit Union has recently committed to support communities in need in California, Oregon, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New York and Minnesota. A portion of donated funds will be used to conduct emergency repairs and modifications for seniors, low-income families with children and other at-risk populations negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The remaining funding is earmarked for capacity building support for She Builds in New York City and San Francisco. She Builds is a national initiative that provides critical repairs for women-headed households and women-focused community spaces to empower women to maintain safe and healthy homes, make a difference in their communities and build a supportive community network.