The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Teachers Cooperative Credit Union (SVGTCCU) on Saturday surprised several of its members in Canouan, Mayreau and Union Island with cheques to help with the repair of their homes following the damage caused by Hurricane Beryl on July 1.
“People weren’t aware. So, it was a surprise for them, and they expressed their gratitude, because I think, for them, every little helps in the rebuilding process,” Wendy Bynoe, secretary to the board of directors of the SVGTCCU, told iWitness News.
“And it also shows that TCCU cares for you all the way through,” she said, adding that the monetary donations were made as a show of solidarity with members of the credit union who were affected by the category 4 cyclone.
“A number of them lost roofs for some part of the house. They’re affected in one way or another. So, our mission is to reaffirm our commitment to them and to also help them in the rebuilding process,” Bynoe told iWitness News.
“So, we came to offer monetary contribution so that they can start to rebuild their lives.”
Jasmine Huggins, the credit union’s CEO, said that the money came from the SVGTCCU’s disaster fund.
The credit union established the fund to assist people, typically members, who are affected by natural hazards.
“Sometimes, persons will come and ask and we give them from that same fund, but typically it is for members.”
The chief executive explained that the fund is disbursed at the discretion of the board of directors and comes from a portion of any surplus realised by the credit union annually.
Bynoe said that the credit union had identified about 100 people and was expecting that other people would contact the office to inquire about assistance.
“… we give different numbers based on what was communicated to us as their need,” Bynoe said, adding that the credit union also has special arrangements in place to offer further support.
“Some people have a loan so they can come in and talk to us because there are terms and conditions for them to get a bit of relief on that as well.”
She said that the credit union’s customer service representative on each island identified the members who were affected and sent pictures of the damage to justify the recommendations.
“We have people with varying needs based on what Hurricane Beryl did to them. So, they identified them and I’m sure we may have missed a couple. So, they can contact the office.”
Roderick Jones, another of the credit union’s directors told iWitness News that SVGTCCU “gave what we could afford.
“We’re trying to see how many persons can benefit from it. So, we have tried to spread it out as much as we can.”
And, Nathaniel Williams, another director, said the amount allocated was more a nominal sum for every member.
“Every member who was actually adversely affected would get. Any person who wants to get beyond that is expected to submit an estimate what was agreed upon. So, it’s trying to reach out to every member and let them know we care, they are actually members, they are clients and we care,” Williams said.