NCCUL's English Drives All Night to Help Mississippi Storm Victims (9/12/2005)

NCCUL Staff Auditor Patricia English drove a 34-foot motor home to Mississippi to help a credit union destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. "I was on a mission," said English, recalling the all-night trip.

Patricia English, staff auditor for the NC Credit Union League, drove all night in order to deliver a mobile branch location to a Mississippi credit union destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. English, a native of Brandon, Mississippi, also got a chance to visit her family while in central Mississippi.

The mobile branch is on loan to the Jackson County Employees Federal Credit Union in Pascagoula. The credit union was leveled by the storm on August 29th. "The credit union is gone and the manager lost her home as well," said English. "I think she'll be sleeping in the motor home for a while."

English drove to Charlotte September 9th to pick up the mobile branch, which belongs to Carolinas Telco Federal Credit Union. English left Charlotte about 6:00 pm, stopped once for gas and arrived in Jackson Saturday morning about 5:00 am. "I was on a mission," she recalls.

While on the road, she got a call from Jackson County EFCU Manager Lora Michael. "She thanked God that I was on my way," English recalled.

The Carolinas Credit Union Foundation is underwriting all costs associated with transporting and operating the mobile branch. "We are doing this thanks to the generosity of the credit union movement in North and South Carolina," said CCUF Executive Director Steve Elam. Elam added, "We are exploring other ways to assist the Gulf Coast."

Patty arrived in Jackson, Mississippi early Saturday morning. Here, she poses with Sonny Green (L) and Charles Elliott of the Mississippi Credit Union Association. (Photo provided courtesy of MCUA.)

English spent the weekend with her daughter in the Jackson area. Although Jackson is well removed from the coast, the Mississippi city took a hard hit from the storm. "There are a lot of big trees down," English said, "and many houses have tarps draped over them because the insurance adjusters haven't had the chance to look at them yet. They have a long way to go."

For more information on the mobile branch donation, click here.