First, it is my hope that you’re seeing this email from a place of safety and that your loved ones are safe too.

Second…it’s next to impossible to find meaningful words at a time like this. There’s really nothing that can be said that eases the devastating impacts of the wildfires that our communities in the Thompson-Okanagan region have experienced over the last week.

Even so, as my own family and I await news on whether we can return to our home, my heart goes out to those who have suffered loss. If you have experienced personal devastation or financial difficulty due to the wildfires or any other hardships related to them, know that Valley First is committed to supporting you. We’re here to help you get through this. As we’ve done in response to disaster events in past years, we’re accelerating member assistance to support members who have lost property or find themselves in challenging financial situations because of the wildfires. Reach out to us by calling our Member Advice Centre at 1-888-597-8083, where our advisors are ready to assist you.

I hope you and all our members know that Valley First—and the whole team behind us at First West Credit Union—are here for you. Our branches remain open to serve you, and you can find the latest information on branch hours here. We continue to monitor the wildfire situation moment by moment and make decisions on how to best serve you, while doing our best to protect your and our employees’ health and safety.

I also want to share that your credit union is making a difference by contributing funds to relief efforts—here’s what we’ve committed so far:

• $15,000 to the Central Okanagan Foundation’s 2023 Wildfire Response Fund
• $10,000 to Mamas for Mamas’ fire support response program in Kelowna
• $2,500 to Kelowna’s Gospel Mission as they provide supplies to evacuees
• $2,500 to the Central Okanagan Food Bank in Kelowna
• $2,500 to the Cawston/Keremeos Food Bank
• $2,500 to the Kamloops Food Bank.

This $35,000 in funding will support ongoing efforts to meet the urgent needs of affected community members. As a cooperative, Valley First is grounded in the belief of neighbour helping neighbour and it goes without saying that we’re here for you now amid challenging times.

Take care,

Simon Mills
Acting President | Valley First, a division of First West Credit Union