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.Qtftfcr credit union members are still borrowing for such necessities as roof repairs, jack-jing up walls, and buying clo-jthing—in short, anything that!
insurance wouldn’t cover at all or in full.
“We aren’t questioning these members very much at all about their financial status*” says Avara. “It isn’t really necessary since we know most of them anyway. Besides, we want to help them as much j as we can without overburden-j ing them with debt.”
In the days immediately following the storm, the Ingalls Credit Union also opened up an emergency office in a fire station in Biloxi to take care of members who needed to draw
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“ on their savings or make loans but had no means of transporta-' tion.
Although Ingalls is one of the largest credit unions in the area, there are 20 more of these member-owned financial cooperatives which are trying equally to help their members.
One of them is the Gulfport VA Federal Credit Union serving almost 700 employees of the f: beach shore hospital.	I
Before the storm, Manager | Julia D. Reed figured the credit union office was in no danger, basing her estimates on the 1947 hurricane as did almost everybody else on the Gulf Coast. After the storm, it took her several hours to work her way through the debris-choked streets. Luckily, the credit union was located in the back of the building, although three feet of water had taken its toll. If the credit union had moved across the hall into the front of
To take care of members’ needs, Mrs. Reed and her staff sometimes toiled 14-16 hours a day., seven days a week, doing bookwork as well as staying open long after normal hours. In three weeks, the credit union occupied four emergency offices.	I
Other credit unions, unscarred themselves, are also pitching in to get people back on their feet. Keesler (Air Force Base) Credit Union, the largest in the stricken area with 20,000 members and ?8 million in assests, is doing its part by making special hurricane loans, and liberal car loans.
The hurricane loans are small emergency loans made with only a signature as security. If a member needs it, he gets it regardless of whether he has other signature loans, according to Manager Bob Wilson.
On the car loans, 'Wilson reports that sometimes Keesler Credit Union is lending more than 100 per cent just so the member can get some badly needed transportation.
the building, as had been considered, all the records would have been swept away.
Mrs. Reed loaded the waterlogged records into her car and used it as a mobile credit union for the next two days. She dried the records out as best she could on what was left of her patio using 200 bricks as weights.
Not all of the Gulf area credit unions are in a position to give their mambers a lot of help, though. Notable, is the Pass Christian Federal Credit Union which serves the poorer residents. Vertually, all of its funds are out in loan to members,: and what with the disaster, the volunteers who operate the: credit union have had little j time to devote to promoting! more savings. Currently,. the j credit union is seeking adminis-! trative funding from the Office j of Economic Opportunity.
The president of this credit; union is well known to Pass! Christian people as the man I who plucked many of the old i and infirm from Camille si foaming jaws on the night of the hurricane. He is Father Phillip J. McLoone, S.S.J., pastor of Our. Mother of Mercy Catholic Church. Rev. McLoone j and Doyle Moffett, chairman of ! the credit union’s supervisory | committee, searched through the howling pitch-black night and using the priest’s car, drove many stranded people to safer shelter.
But despite the efforts of hardworking disaster agencies,: credit unions and others, there is no doubt that the people of the Mississippi Gulf Coast are going to need all the help they can get!
i One member at Keesler ex-' presses the plight of many Mis-sissippians. His home was swept away by rising water. He was making $140 a month payments to pay off his original mortgage and a Title I FHA Home Improvement Loan at the credit union.
“I can’t afford to make any higher payments than that,” he said shaking his head. “How can I take on any more loans, no matter how reasonable?”