Letter: Costco supports community

Published 5:00 pm Thursday, August 6, 2009

The opening statement “Social Costs are an elusive concept” in the opinion piece published in The Daily Astorian’s editorial page on July 29 about the big box culture (“Warrenton’s big box culture comes with a price”), and specifically referencing Costco as one that “does not nurture community through giving,” struck me as patently untrue in relationship to the Warrenton Costco faculty.

The Costco in Warrenton has been and is a major supporter of United Way of Clatsop County. I looked up some figures just to give everyone an idea of how much their presence means. Since 2002, when UWCC financial records were computerized, $107,580 has come to United Way annual campaigns through Costco.

They run a United Way Campaign for their employees and provide a 50 percent corporate match of employee’s contributions. In addition to the actual funding, Costco provides in-kind donations of products for many of our special events that we ask sponsors to pay for so that all the charitable contributions are used appropriately. They do this not only for our organization, but for many others as well.

We have also, from time to time had employees from Costco serve as board members with the blessing and support of their employer. They, too, have provided community service benefiting our region.

The funding that comes to United Way is distributed to the various health and human service agencies, 15 to 18 we help annually. To list a few: American Red Cross, Clatsop Community Action, Camp Kiwanilong, Women’s Resource Center/Pioneer House, Boy Scouts, The Lighthouse for Kids and on and on. Without Costco, there would be less to distribute.

These agencies in turn use the local funding from UWCC to leverage additional grants that brings in additional funding to help serve those in our communities.

Bottom line, Costco does not show a “disinterest in community,” but is an active participant on many fronts. They contribute financially, they contribute products in-kind to many groups and their employees volunteer at many levels in the community.

To wrap this up, I agree “Social costs are an elusive concept” in some circumstances, maybe, but am completely convinced that that is not the case with our Costco facility. Their presence is beneficial and they very definitely “nurture our communities through giving.”

DARLENE FELKINS

Executive director, United Way of Clatsop County

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