Tsunami Victims Draw CUAssistance

PASADENA, Calif. - (01/03/05) -- Dozens of U.S. credit unions arepitching in to collect funds and much-needed material, includingfood and clothes, for the hundreds of thousands of survivors oflast week's tsunamis in southeast Asia that left more than 120,000people dead. More than a dozen Wescom CU employees, representingthe credit union employee's WeCare charity, walked the stands andhelped collect donations for victims during Saturday's Rose Bowlfootball game, one of several credit union efforts to aid thesurvivors of the mammoth tragedy. St. Joseph's CU, in Biddeford,Me., has teamed with the Northeast Atlantic Marine Alliance toraise funds for fishermen and their families in Sri Lanka, one ofthe hardest-hit from the massive tidal waves. The credit union hasagreed to waive any fees for wiring funds to the strickencountries. Affinity Plus CU, in St. Paul, Minn., has created a SriLanka Fund for the disaster victims. Security Service FCU, in SanAntonio, has joined with the American Red Cross to collect disasterfunds. And Lake Michigan CU, Grand Rapids, Mich., has beencollecting funds at all of its branches for aid.