Following severe storms that blew through Tallahassee and surrounding communities on Friday, May 10, unleashing damaging tornadoes and knocking out power for thousands of residents, First Commerce Credit Union (FCCU) and its team members jumped into action Monday morning to show support for the community by grilling 500 hot dogs and delivering them to three of its Tallahassee financial centers located near some of the hardest hit areas of town – Blairstone/Old St. Augustine roads, Mahan Drive and Capital Circle NW/Tharpe Street (Westside).
First Commerce invited weather-weary Tallahassee residents via social media and emails to visit one of the three financial centers to take a break with a hot dog lunch, charge their devices, enjoy air conditioning and share their experiences. At Blairstone, where power outages lingered, FCCU team members passed out hot dogs, chips, cookies and drinks and were able to offer most banking services onsite.
Two other locations with power — Mahan Drive and Westside — also welcomed individuals to enjoy air conditioning and charge their devices. The Mahan center’s reception area and workstations looked more like a café as people settled in to eat lunch, charge up and share stories. Some were charging much-needed medical devices.
One member, who heard about FCCU’s Comfort Stations through an email, ate her lunch and read a novel. Her power was still out, but the only damage to her townhouse was a deck and one fence board. She and others lamented about the food in the refrigerator and freezer they were throwing out. “I just haven’t eaten very well…because I cleaned up my yard. I did that for two days. But I was so exhausted,” she said. The 75-year-old Tallahassee native has lived in an enclave between Apalachee Parkway and Lincoln High School for 40 years and was worried about her elderly neighbors, who faced challenges even before the storm and blackout.
Another member and her daughter took a chance to relax and eat. She had been to the Mahan Financial Center just a week earlier to pay off the mortgage on her home which, thankfully, only had damage to the deck. Others swapped charging cords and outlet bricks.
“I am incredibly proud of our team members for quickly jumping in to help our community in a time of need. They are a shining example of the culture of care we strive to provide for our members and the communities we serve,” said First Commerce CEO Cecilia Homison. “As Tallahassee’s largest locally based credit union for nearly 85 years, we are deeply committed to transforming the communities we call home. It’s inspiring to see how, once again, our community has come together to help one another.”
To learn more about how First Commerce supports our members and communities, visit FirstCommerceCU.org.
