SECUF, LSCU Provide Nearly $40K to Communities in Hurricane Idalia’s Wake

The League of Southeastern Credit Unions & Affiliates (LSCU & Affiliates) and the Southeastern Credit Union Foundation (SECUF) have provided nearly $40,000 in disaster aid to communities in North Florida and South Georgia impacted by Hurricane Idalia two weeks ago.

SECUF has awarded $12,500 (and counting) in grant funding to hard-hit credit unions since the application portal opened on September 1. These funds will help credit unions, their staff, and the communities they serve to rebuild, restore, and quickly get back on their feet after suffering the storm’s wrath.

More than 2,000 credit union branches and offices were impacted by the massive storm’s effects on August 30, though thankfully the vast majority escaped mostly unscathed. For thosehit hardest by Idalia, LSCU and SECUF team members made numerous deliveries of direct assistance to communities and credit unions in Perry and Valdosta in the days following Idalia’s landfall.

Thanks to the generosity of SECUF supporters, LSCU staff was able to deliver roughly $25,000in direct assistance – including nearly 30 generators, plentiful gas cans, and countless power cords, as well as dozens of cases of bottled water, truckloads of non-perishable food and essential items, and a hot spread of Sonny’s BBQ – to the employees and volunteers of impacted credit unions.

"We are grateful for the ability to assist communities and credit unions that needed help after this storm. Between thousands of dollars in grant funding and thousands more in generators, cases of water, and other necessities, SECUF is honored to answer the call for those in need,” said Bobbi Grady, Director of SECUF. “Thankfully, this storm wasn’t nearly as damaging as Hurricane Ian last year, but we remain committed to serving our credit unions and their communities no matter what. None of what the Foundation does would be possible without the generous donations of supporters across the southeast and beyond, and we are tremendously appreciative of the critical and timely impacts they enable us to make for those hit hardest by these storms.”

In keeping with the credit union movement’s mantra of ‘people helping people,’ LSCU and SECUF are honored to support our credit unions in their hours of need. We invite them to reach out to us for any guidance or assistance they may require so they can get back to doing what they do best – serving their communities. As we continue to receive grant submissions and the 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season begins to heat up, LSCU and SECUF appreciate the committed support of credit unions and community members alike. Anyone interested in helping can make donations to our disaster relief here.