On Wednesday, credit unions from across Tennessee hosted a statewide Grocery Giveaway Campaign, providing shoppers with more than $45,000 in free groceries in a single day just ahead of Christmas. The giveaway is a collaborative initiative by Tennessee credit unions to help make holiday meals accessible and offset rising food costs.
Shoppers at 25 grocery stores throughout the state were blessed with free groceries courtesy of Tennessee credit unions. The statewide Grocery Giveaway Campaign exemplifies the credit union mission of people helping people. As not-for-profit financial cooperatives, credit unions are owned and controlled by the people, or members, who use their services.
“The statewide Grocery Giveaway Campaign is just one example of the credit union difference,” said Fred Robinson, president and CEO of the Tennessee Credit Union League, the trade association for Tennessee’s 129 credit unions. “Every day, Tennessee credit unions help to advance the financial well-being of their members. We believe everyone should have the opportunity to thrive financially.”
Credit unions were established to ensure everyone has access to safe, affordable financial services. More than 100 years later, Tennessee credit unions are committed to the financial well-being for all. The credit union’s member-owner structure provides higher savings rates, reduced fees and lower loan rates.
“What an amazing blessing today,” shared Jennifer Hand on social media. “I was buying supplies to make cookies for youth worship night tonight plus to host some friends tomorrow for lunch. Someone came up to me in line and told me they were representing Tennessee credit unions and was going to buy my groceries.
Check out TN credit unions:) As a non-profit gal in ministry them paying for my 113.00 worth of groceries was a huge, huge blessing at Christmas.”
“We were able to bless 32 individuals today,” said Pam Case, CEO of Jack Daniel Employees’ Credit Union. “The best part was seeing the employees of the stores uplifted and our employees lifted with Christmas spirit today. We are thankful and blessed.”
“We had a lady and her husband that had about $30 worth of groceries that was to do them until he got paid in another week,” said Sandra Griffis, manager of CN/IC Employees Credit Union. “The lady has not been able to work because she has lupus. We told them they could get a little more and they got milk, oil, cereal and soup.”
“The first customer I helped was an older lady and she only had 4-5 items in her cart,” said Marian Dockery
with Bowater Credit Union. “I could tell she was hesitant to pick things up and add them to her cart. I approached her and told her that I was with the Tennessee Credit Unions, and we were going to be paying for her groceries up to $200, that it’s our way of spreading our moto of “people helping people.” She instantly started to cry and thanked me over and over again. She gave me a hug and told me I would never understand how much this meant to her, that she only had enough money for a few little things to last her until after the first of the month that she was on a fixed income. Now she would be able to get her enough to last her!”
To learn more about Tennessee credit unions, please visit yourleague.org/peoplehelpingpeople.
