Your donations in action

By George Chacon, MCU Foundation president

Just days before Christmas, a devastating fire broke out in a large apartment building in Sunnyside, Queens, leaving 14 injured and displacing 150 families. As a result of the fire, the building was ruled temporarily uninhabitable and placed under a vacate order, so residents could not enter even to retrieve holiday gifts or essential paperwork.

Our colleagues at MCU checked and found that five MCU members resided in the building. MCU Foundation came to the assistance of these members, depositing $500 in each member’s account the very next day. These funds came as a grant – not a loan – to use for essential needs and tide them over until insurance claims and other recovery-related matters could begin.

(In addition, MCU placed a skip-a-payment option on each member’s loan/s so they could channel their resources to face an uncertain housing situation and a difficult holiday, and arranged for replacement of members’ debit cards and other needed documents since they could not gain access to their apartments.)

All these members were able to have a happier holiday and kickstart the difficult process of recovery due to the generosity of all of you who fund the MCU Foundation’s work, helping some of your fellow New Yorkers meet their essential needs.

As our member, Mercedes M., texted to our representative, “Thank you – you showed up exactly when I needed someone, and I’m so grateful for you. I am so thankful.” We are, in turn, grateful for you. Helping our fellow New Yorkers is why the MCU Foundation was created, and why each of us serves as a volunteer to help forward its mission.

We cannot thank you enough for your generosity, and please stay tuned to learn about more upcoming initiatives to help the MCU Foundation to further our mission.

Wishing you all the best of the new year,

George