SAN DIEGO -
Kimberly Bianco, First Future's marketing manager, told the Credit Union Journal her CU cross-referenced a list of members' addresses with a list compiled by the City of San Diego of destroyed or damaged houses.
"We had 23 confirmed from the lists, plus two members reported their structures were destroyed, but all we have for them is a P.O. Box, so we are doing more research," Bianco said.
Hard-hit San Diego County suffered five major fires. As of Nov. 2, county officials said the "Witch" fire destroyed 1,141 homes, damaged 77 more, and burned 509 accessory buildings. The "Harris" fire destroyed 213 houses, damaged four, and 266 accessory buildings went up. The "Rice Canyon" fire burned 211 homes, damaged 12, and destroyed 83 accessory buildings. The "Poomacha" fire took 147 homes, damaged four more, and burned 12 accessory buildings.
No structures were lost in the fire near the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base.
It may take weeks to total the damage caused by the fires. At press time, the California Credit Union League had received only two reports of CU members in Southern California taking out emergency loans. Both were members of Printing Industries CU, which is based in Los Angeles but has members statewide. The CCUL said it is not clear if those members lost homes.
Several credit unions had offered donations or emergency loans to members who lost homes to the fires, including a $100,000 Fire Relief Fund established by California Coast CU.
Bianco estimated $900 million in assets First Future "probably" holds mortgages on at least some of the 23 member homes that were burned. "And of course some of those members will have car loans and signature loans with us. We have established low-interest signature loans, payment deferrals, Visa credit line increases, and other things we can do to help our members."
In addition, Bianco said the credit union recently learned of National Credit Union Foundation grant money being made available to fire victims from a fund built by donations at CUAid.coop. She said upon approval, First Future would help its members apply for grants through the California CU League to get them access to relief funds.
"We also will be making a donation to the CUAid.coop fund," she said. "We will be hosting a street fair this weekend. We will be taking donations that will go to the fund, and we probably will do matching funds."
First Future has a dedicated phone line offering financial assistance specialists Monday-through-Friday during its normal business hours. Bianco said any of its 60,000 members who suffered losses can call to set up payment deferrals or Visa line increases.
