TDECU Provides Members with Financial Recovery Tools in the Aftermath of Hurricane Ike LAKE JACKSON, Texas, Sep 17, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- As the damage left behind by Hurricane Ike is felt more with each passing day, TDECU has put into action several innovative services to help members who have suffered losses and whose budgets have been turned upside down.

The first is a universal Skip-A-Pay program, allowing members to skip a month or two on all of their loan payments to TDECU. Within the first day of the Skip-A-Pay program being announced on the TDECU Web site, more than 2,000 members took them up on the offer to defer their loans -- mortgage, car or unsecured.

TDECU is also offering members a special loan, the Recover, Repair, Replace and then Relax Loan to cover the costs of evacuation, displacement, or recovery for the repairing, replacement and rebuilding of their homes and lives. Through the terms of this loan, members will not have payments for the first 90 days.

Afterwards, repayment terms will be extended for up to 36-months. Members can apply for this loan, which will be offered for a limited time, by visiting their branch or calling TDECU.

I just wanted to thank you very much for helping the citizens of Brazoria county with their financial needs during this time after Hurricane Ike.  I want to thank you for Tina Goe and her Angleton High School employees who opened the Angleton branch over the weekend and who work in the Angleton High School Branch when school is in session. Thank you for the opportunity to skip-a-payment on our loans, if needed.  My husband and I really appreciate what you and TDECU are doing for us.

• Turn on Front Porch Lights: For customers without power, flipping front porch light outlets to the on position helps TNMP crews determine which streets have power and which streets may still be in need of repair.
• Let Crews Do Their Work: Outside of emergencies, please allow the TNMP and mutual assistance crews complete their critical work. If crews are in your neighborhood, they are there specifically to help make repairs and restore power to your home or business. Interrupting them makes the work take longer, so please let them do their job of restoring service as quickly as possible.
• Avoid Scams: Some TNMP customers have reported instances of receiving telephone calls from someone claiming to be calling from TNMP. The caller promises to restore power more quickly to customers if they pay a fee by providing credit card information over the phone. Please be assured that TNMP does not fast track restoration by charging its customers, and that all customers will be restored as soon as possible. TNMP will never call customers asking for payment during the restoration process, and customers are urged to never give out credit card or other personal information over the telephone.
• Be Safe: In the days to come, TNMP customers will see many TNMP and other utility employees in their neighborhoods making repairs. If someone claiming to be a utility worker asks for permission to enter your home or business, please do not grant them access and call the police immediately. TNMP employees will never ask to enter your residence or business. On occasion, a TNMP employee may knock on doors to ensure that power has been restored, but they will not ask to come inside. Also, customers should be aware that TNMP employees will wear clothing with official TNMP insignias visible and drive vehicles with TNMP logos on the doors. Plus, all TNMP employees will carry official TNMP employee badges.

I have never been treated so well by a company in my life.  I have never even heard of a company that treats their employees this well.  The Credit Union has gone above and beyond in making sure that their employees are taken care of.  This being a time of hardship for many, it is really enjoyable coming to work and putting some of our worries away for 8 hours. 

Thanks for the food and drinks that the CU is supplying.  It has been so good and plentiful-I’m sure I weigh just a little more now.  I am not in need of a place to sleep, but I also want to thank the CU for making accommodations for those in need.  And the Skip a Pay has helped all of us out during a time that we had unexpected expenses.  I could go on, but I have to start working now.

I am proud to be a TDECU team member!! Thanks, Kim Shelton - Member Account Services, Supervisor

We committed to help Employees and families with these office visits and prescription payments regardless if they have coverage or not.  To quote Ed directly: "This is no time to allow an illness to go untreated."

Employees, more details went out in the email from Ed.

We have electrical power at the Brazoria branch. We are getting set up to switch it off the generator. This will take about 15 minutes and is being coordinated with Stacy.We are also making arrangements to bring it over to power up Mortgage!

We are moving forward.

Again let me say a BIG “THANK YOU!!!!”

What a privilege to work with all of you!

FEMA activates transitional housing office

FEMA activated a transitional housing office Tuesday.  The agency will pay hotel expenses for residents whose homes are considered unlivable.  A home without power is not considered unlivable.

To find out if a hotel is participating with FEMA, check fema.gov or 1-800-621-FEMA.  If you are staying at a nonparticipating hotel, save your receipts.

This program will last for 30 days.

To learn more about applying for FEMA aid, click here.

Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center continues asking individuals to give blood as more Neighborhood Donor Centers and mobile blood drives resume collections. Special extended hours will be observed at eight Neighborhood Donor Centers. A small number of mobile blood drives also will be open to the public on Wednesday.

Collections resumed Tuesday after a four-day hiatus due to Hurricane Ike, so donations are especially needed now to replenish the blood supply and ensure that blood is available for patients in need. Patients in the Texas Gulf Coast region need more than 900 blood donations every day; that is why it is important for blood donors to Commit for Life by donating at least once every quarter.

Additionally, all Commit for Life donors who give blood now through Sept. 23 will receive 300 bonus points for the Commit for Life store, which can be viewed at our Web site, www.giveblood.org.

WHEN/WHERE: Wednesday, Sept. 17

The following Neighborhood Donor Centers will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.:

• Bill T. Teague (Headquarters) - 1400 La Concha Lane (Reliant Stadium area)
• Champions - 6935 FM 1960 West, Suite A (at Cutten Road)
• Cy-Fair - 11811 FM 1960 West, Suite 120
• Gulfgate - 546 Gulfgate Center (behind Chuck E. Cheese)
• Humble/Kingwood - 9616 FM 1960 Bypass (Commons at Deerbrook, behind Olive Garden)
• Katy - 1575 S. Grand Parkway, Suite 600 (at Highland Knolls)
• Sugar Land - 4949 Sweetwater Blvd. (next to Kroger)
• Westchase - 10001 Westheimer, Suite 2117 (Carillon Shopping Center, behind la Madeleine)

The following mobile blood drives will be open to the public:

• St Joseph Medical Center (7 a.m. to 4 p.m.) - 1919 La Branch
• Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.) - 10205 Westheimer, Suite 300
• VA Medical Center (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) - 2002 Holcombe
• San Jacinto Methodist Hospital (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) - 4401 Garth Road, Baytown
• Wharton County Jr. College (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) - 911 Boling Highway, Wharton

The Buc-ee’s located on Oyster Creek and Old Angleton Road (in Lake Jackson) is open and has gasoline in the tanks.

I would like to share a story with you that happened last night with one of our members.  It shows a true spirit of ‘people helping people.’  

I left here yesterday and went to pick up my young baby and then proceeded to go to the grocery store to try and buy her some juice and dinner.  All the grocery stores closed at 7 due to the curfew and I did not make it.  

I started to drive around to all the convenience stores with a crying baby in the back seat.  I finally found a convenience store in Angleton close to the high school and I was unloading my baby when a lady was getting into a car next to me and noticed my uniform.  She said, “Oh, you work for the credit union?”  

I informed her that I did and asked if there was something that I could help her with.  We chit-chatted a few minutes and I told her that I was there to buy my daughter some apple juice and dinner and she informed me that she just bought the last apple juice.  I told her that was okay that we would just get something else.  

She said that was nonsense and that because we had been open, she insisted that I take the juice for my crying child.  The swell of pride was overwhelming and I kept asking her if there was something that I could do to repay her and she insisted that there was nothing.  

I have no doubt that she has received incredible service and for that, I thank my fellow co-workers to help make this community a true ‘people helping people’ place!