How many times while on patrol we come across crime victims, accident victims or just a strange set of circumstances where we have encountered people who unexpectedly find themselves hungry, out of gas, or with no place to stay! Thanks to Northwest Community Credit Union for their donation of $2,500 to our Crisis Assistance Fund, which provides a way for our officers to immediately help people we encounter in unexpected and difficult circumstances who are in need of a small temporary boost to get them through a crisis. Northwest Community Credit Union is making the donation in honor of “National Thank a Police Officer Day,” which is September 16.
Common uses for the Crisis Assistance Fund are for shelter, food and vehicle gasoline. Examples of what was purchased with $3,509 in funds from June 30, 2016 through July 1, 2017 include:
- Emergency shelter (hotel rooms) for homeless individuals (often with children)
- Bus/train tickets for people in crisis to get back home to a safe place
- Fuel for a stranded father and his children
- Fuel for a homeless Veteran
- Replacement lock for a homeless individual’s storage unit
- Emergency meals for homeless and in-crisis individuals
Northwest Community Credit Union stopped by Eugene Police Department on September 8, with a very large check (photo attached).