A credit union here opened a branch that was closed on a holiday in order to assist hurricane victims seeking to cash checks.
Here in the Florida capital, the American Red Cross had issued cash vouchers to Hurricane Katrina evacuees in Tallahassee, but it was a Saturday and all financial institutions were to be closed through Tuesday due to Labor Day. Florida State Rep. Lorranne Ausley (D-Tallahassee), who was at the Red Cross Tallahassee office, turned to Florida league EVP Aletta Shutes, for help. Shutes contacted FCUL CEO Guy Hood, who in turn, called Envision Credit Union CEO Ray Cromer, who agreed to open a branch, located in one of the city's Wal-Mart stores, for evacuees to bring their vouchers to receive cash that would allow them to handle incidentals and expenses. After working out the logistics and finding enough volunteers to come to the branch and help, the Envision CU branch was ready to go.
According to Envision, the credit union assisted more than 110 individuals and families from the Gulf Coast.
Rep. Ausley was on hand at Envision CU to personally thank Cromer and his Envision CU staff for their willingness to give up their Sunday and holiday to help the hurricane victims.
