Gene's Note: Seeds of Hope

Last month I shared Caden and Adrianna’s stories, two young people who brought compassion and kindness to their community by serving those who needed it the most. You learned that through the generosity of heroes like YOU, over $1.16 million was raised for wildfire relief. This month, I’m excited to report that the Rogue Credit Union Foundation awarded grants to 23 non-profits that are working directly to meet the needs of families and communities affected by the wildfires.  

Through your donations, we are planting seeds of hope. We have the immense privilege of supporting organizations that are doing tremendously important work of supporting those who lost their homes and livelihoods with small business grants, housing assistance, access to healthcare, food security, emergency childcare assistance and more.  

Everywhere I look, there are seeds of hope planted to heal and regrow in the midst of the damage and devastation. Just like the 40,000 pounds of native grass seed that will be used to protect the Bear Creek Greenway from hazardous debris runoff – each seed on its own will make little difference, but together they will provide the roots that will rebuild the communities impacted by the fires.  

The same can be said for the generous donations over 5,000 everyday heroes contributed to the Rogue Credit Union Foundation. We have a long road to recovery for the communities impacted by the fires. The work will not be easy, but it is the most important work we can do right now. It will take many hands over the next few years to rebuild all that was lost…but together we are stronger! Each dollar raised and invested in our recovery is another seed of hope that will lay the foundation for our recovery.
  
I truly enjoy the messages I receive from our members in response to these posts and suggestions for future topics. So, please share what seeds of hope you have planted or those that have been planted with you at rogue@roguecu.org.