SUMTER, S.C.–Numerous credit union branches across the Carolinas are closed today as Hurricane Florence hits the southeastern U.S. Meanwhile, as the storm was approaching, one CU’s marketing department was able to raise funds for disaster relief using items it already had in stock.
The Carolinas CU League website showed more than 25 credit unions that are closing branches with most hoping to reopen next week.
The league reported that it closed both its North Carolina and South Carolina locations at noon Thursday with plans to reopen Monday.
“However, we are doing our best to remain accessible remotely to our member credit unions as they share their updates,” said spokesperson Courtney Jackson..
Meanwhile, ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Florence, SAFE FCU here is reporting it raised more than $18,000 for disaster relief in just two days leading up to the landfall of the storm.
“We saw this as an opportunity to help our members preparing for the coming storm, while also providing financial support for those facing its aftermath in the weeks to come,” said Toby Hayes, SAFEs VP of marketing. “It has been a win-win that came together very quickly.”
On Monday of this week, SAFE FCU said Hayes and other team members were taking inventory of promotional items ahead of the hurricane when they realized they had close to 2,000 emergency lanterns that had been purchased for an event later in the month.
Lanterns Are Sold
“Within hours they coordinated with other executives, designed and printed signs for all 17 branches, and arranged for morning delivery to all their locations to sell the lanterns to members to raise money for hurricane relief,” the credit union said.
At $10 each, SAFE said it thought it might be able to raise some funds for the Carolinas CU’s League’s Foundation, which helps credit union employees after a natural disaster.
“By Tuesday morning the social media posts and e-mail to members had people lined up at the doors,” said Hayes. “On the first day alone we sold more than 1,000 lanterns.”
The latest storm track for Hurricane Florence indicates the storm is turning slightly southward and will affect more of South Carolina than had originally been forecast.
‘Headed Right For Us’
“We woke up Wednesday and realized the storm was headed right for us,” said Hayes. “That made us realize that everything we’re doing to help was becoming very real. By the end of Wednesday we had raised more than $18,000 to help with hurricane relief, which could help our very own employees who were helping make all this happen.”
Added Lauren Whaley, president of the Carolinas Credit Union Foundation, “We help employees get back on their feet so they can help their credit union members who are experiencing the same kind of hardships following a disaster such as Florence. The amazing support of SAFE and their members will go a long way to help everyone recover in the aftermath of this historic storm.”
In Virginia, the Virginia CU League is closely monitoring the storm, although most weather models indicate Virginia will be spared the worst of the rain and wind, Vice President of Public Relations and Communication Lewis Wood told CUToday.info.
“A mandatory evacuation order was issued for some areas of coastal Virginia and some credit unions have closed branch locations. Coastal Virginia remains under a tropical storm warning. Of note, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management has continued to hammer home the message that dangerous flooding is still possible in some areas of Virginia,” Wood said. “We know credit unions in the Carolinas and the Carolinas Credit Union League have spent the week preparing for the storm, and our thoughts and prayers are with them.”