ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—Todd Lane recalls images from news feeds of rioters swinging baseball bats and crowbars at the windows of his CU’s La Mesa, Calif., branch, and what he experienced the following morning when he walked into the shattered office.
“Our La Mesa branch was severely impacted by the social unrest here,” said Lane, CEO of California Coast CU, referring to the protests that occurred following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police, which has set off protests and discussion of race-related issues across the United States and the world. “This branch had been there for 30 years, and there were peaceful protests happening at the end of May.”
But one recent Saturday night that changed, he said.
“As we moved later into the evening, there were rioters, certainly not peaceful protestors,” explained Lane during PSCU’s Virtual Member Forum, which featured a panel discussion on the impact of the protests and COVID-19, on credit unions.
‘Pure Destruction’
Lane said rioters smashed the credit union’s windows using bats and crowbars, and in addition to causing significant damage to the CU’s office, put into a negative light all the peaceful protesting that had happened for days.
“I went in that branch on Sunday morning, and I was the first to get there from the credit union. It was pure destruction,” Lane recalled.
And yet there was also something “heartwarming” about the ordeal, according to Lane, and that is how the community gathered and offered to help the $3-billion San Diego-based credit union.
“The local people jumped right in to help,” said Lane. “That Sunday there were more than 500 people in that strip mall parking lot where our office is located. All of the other businesses were badly damaged, as well. But so many people came up to me that morning and offered to help us clean up, board up windows and doors, and asked what they could do to get the credit union operating.”
Lane said following that event the healing in the La Mesa community began taking place—with the credit union’s help.
“We have jumped on board to support the local Chamber of Commerce foundations,” said Lane. “And we’re helping to get small businesses up and running and accelerate the healing that needs to take place in our communities.”
A Border CU’s Story
Near the border of United States and Mexico, Del-Rio, Texas-based Border FCU’s close relationship with its communities helped stave off any attacks on its
offices during the protests, explained CEO Maria Martinez during PSCU’s meeting. She believes the ways in which the $163-million credit union has always worked closely with its members to help them through troubled times—including the COVID-19 pandemic—spared her locations from damage.
“We have always been compassionate and about helping people and that helped us,” said Martinez.
But the big challenge the country faces, and the credit union as well, said Martinez, is how will the change protestors are calling for be implemented.
“That is the challenge—how do you implement change,” she said. “How does the credit union make sure it makes the right decisions moving forward? But I believe, when this is all over, our people helping people philosophy will make sure credit unions come through with flying colors.”