ADEL, Ga. — As many South Georgia communities faced extended power outages and damage to homes and businesses from Hurricane Helene, First Commerce Credit Union jumped into action over the weekend to serve hot lunches and provide much needed relief.
On Sunday, September 29, First Commerce team members in Tallahassee, Fla., loaded up a grill, 600 hot dogs, dozens of cases of water bottles, and snacks before driving to Adel, Ga., to join fellow team members at the Adel financial center located at the center of Adel’s downtown area on Hutchinson Ave. for a cookout for the Adel and Nashville communities. Both Saturday and Sunday, First Commerce also 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 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 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 team members also took more than 300 lunches to nearby Nashville, Ga., which experienced even more severe impacts from Helene, to serve to community members there.
Yolanda Roberson, an Adel resident who suffered substantial damage to her house, told a First Commerce 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 team members were back in Nashville on Monday, September 30, serving freshly grilled hamburger and cheeseburger lunches, and continuing the relief station in Adel while resuming most operations at 3 financial centers in Valdosta.
In addition, First Commerce 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 FCCU’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 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 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.
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About First Commerce Credit Union
First Commerce is an award-winning, full-service, #LocalStrong financial institution dedicated to empowering generations and transforming communities for nearly 85 years. First Commerce has been consistently recognized for its community impact, including national awards for their annual #FlamingoChallenge held during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October to benefit breast cancer patients throughout the region and the #LocalStrong initiative helping local businesses and people at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The credit union serves more than 70,000 consumer and business members across South Georgia and North Florida and has more than $1 billion in assets. First Commerce offers best-in-class consumer and business products and services. First Commerce also offers free financial literacy resources in person and online through the FCCU Foundation, as well as comprehensive financial planning and investment services through its subsidiary Six Pillars Financial Advisors, and commercial and personal insurance through First Commerce Insurance Agency. For details, visit FirstCommerceCU.org or call 229.686.7444 or 1.800.533.5772. Insured by NCUA. Equal housing opportunity lender.
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