We’re Honoring Domestic Violence Awareness Month with a $40,000 Gift to the Emergency Support Shelter

One day of #CreditUnionGood volunteerism this September set off a chain reaction of giving! Angie Shipman, our SVP Chief Experience Officer, joined fellow Fibre Family volunteers for a United Way Day of Caring project at the Emergency Support Shelter (ESS) in Longview. As she worked, she listened to ESS staff comments about the need for improvements around the facility and the lack of resources to fund them. This planted a seed that grew into an exciting opportunity to give and help change lives.

Following Angie’s inspirational experience, we combined Visa grant funds with a triple match opportunity from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines Member Impact Fund, resulting in a $40,000 donation to the Emergency Support Shelter. The funds will be instrumental in enhancing ESS’s ability to serve victims of domestic violence and sexual assault through two critical facility improvements: a rejuvenated relaxation space for staff to decompress and a safer outdoor play area for children staying at the shelter. These upgrades will significantly bolster ESS’s capacity to provide safety, support, and healing to their vulnerable residents while also supporting their dedicated staff.

But it didn’t stop there! Tracy Heltemes, our Digital Experience Systems Manager, joined Angie at the Day of Caring project and similarly left inspired to give back. Tracy organized a staff donation drive for ESS’s most needed supplies and presented a wagonload of donations to the organization in mid-October.

These donations come appropriately timed during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, but we’ve maintained a strong, longstanding partnership with ESS. Since 2016, we’ve donated over $11,000 and our employees have contributed nearly 100 volunteer hours for ESS support. Our enduring partnership with ESS reflects our shared dedication to the betterment of our communities, supporting those affected by domestic violence and sexual assault through advocacy education, emergency housing, health resources, and comprehensive well-being services.