Lizeth GeorgeAs many South Georgia communities faced extended power outages and damage to homes and businesses from Hurricane Helene, First Commerce Credit Union in Tallahassee, Florida, jumped into action over the weekend to serve hot lunches and provide much needed relief.
On Sunday, First Commerce Credit Union team members loaded up a grill, 600 hot dogs, dozens of cases of water bottles, and snacks before driving to Adel, Georgia, to join fellow team members at the Adel Financial Center for a cookout for the Adel and Nashville communities. All weekend, First Commerce Credit Union opened their Adel Financial Center for special banking hours and to serve as a “comfort station” so members of the Adel community and surrounding areas could come inside to charge their devices, cool off in the air conditioning, and get a reprieve from the late September heat.
“I am incredibly proud of our team for stepping up to help our communities when they need it most – even when some were dealing with their own damages or challenges. The response has been truly heartwarming knowing we were able to do our small part to bring some relief to the families and businesses impacted by the storm,” said First Commerce Credit Union CEO Cecilia Homison. “This is just the latest demonstration of our deep commitment to our communities especially during their most challenging times, and we will be here for our members every step of the way through their recovery.”
Operating the grill, packaging and handing out hot dogs, chips, and water bottles, the First Commerce Credit Union team served more than 600 hot meals to grateful residents, some of whom said they hadn’t had a hot meal in days. First Commerce Credit Union team members also took more than 300 lunches to nearby Nashville, Georgia, which experienced even more severe impacts from Hurricane Helene, to serve to community members there.
Yolanda Roberson, an Adel resident who suffered substantial damage to her house, told a First Commerce Credit Union team member that Sunday’s event was a help after she experienced such loss.
“You never know how a bottle of cold water will make a person’s day, coming from someone who has lost almost everything but God,” Roberson said. “We still have our life.”
Recognizing the ongoing need in South Georgia, First Commerce Credit Union team members were back in Nashville on Monday serving freshly grilled hamburger and cheeseburger lunches and continuing the relief station in Adel while resuming most operations at three financial centers in Valdosta, Georgia.
In addition, First Commerce Credit Union has continued to ensure access to money for our members and communities, and has rolled out relief and recovery programs. Before and during the storm and in the initial days of recovery, this included waiving fees at ATMs outside of First Commerce Credit Union’s nationwide network, courtesy pay/overdraft and non-sufficient funds fees, and late fees on loans. The credit union also deployed a team out of town to continue Contact Center and Video Teller Service throughout the storm. First Commerce Credit Union worked closely with vendors to refill ATMs with cash and quickly resumed operations including with generators in some locations. Post-storm relief and recovery programs have included waiving penalty fees on emergency CD withdrawals along with offering special recovery loans and lines of credit. In addition, as the region’s No. 1 local auto lender, First Commerce Credit Union extended its popular promotion of Six Months – No Payments on auto loans, offering a break from payments on new, used, or refinanced vehicles to also help with unexpected expenses.
For more information and the latest updates, please visit the Hurricane Update Page of our website at //FirstCommerceCU.org/Hurricane.
Additionally, the League of Southeastern Credit Unions and the Southeastern Credit Union Foundation have established the Disaster Relief Fund to assist those impacted by Hurricane Helene. For those who wish to contribute to help with recovery efforts, donations can be made by visiting here.
