OnPath Credit Union

HARAHAN, LA – September 14, 2021 - After battering southeast Louisiana with strong winds and heavy rains, Hurricane Ida left residents without electricity and access to important services for more than 50 hours. Approximately 118,000 households are still in the dark as the state works to restore power.

As the entire community continues to recover from the damage caused by Hurricane Ida, and as thousands prepare for another round of rain and potential flooding with tropical storm Nicholas, OnPath Federal Credit Union assures that they remain operational and ready to assist their members and community.

“What I am absolutely proudest about in how OnPath FCU responded to Hurricane Ida is that there was never a second, not one, where we were down in any way,” stated Jared Freeman, President and CEO of OnPath Federal Credit Union. “Reporting shows that someone made an ATM withdrawal in the middle of the storm due to our generator power here at this facility. So, I am very proud that through our preparations, the security of our networks, and the structure we have in place, our over 64,000 members’ money couldn’t be safer or more accessible”.   

OnPath FCU temporarily transferred their call center to Houston and shifted 66 people to remote work, ensuring all communications with members and employees went uninterrupted despite the power outage in southeast Louisiana. On the Monday following Ida, the call center answered over 600 member calls when many local systems were down.   

In addition, OnPath FCU has funded over $1.5 Million in emergency loans since August 30th to its members and continues to help its service areas with community events including supply giveaways in Lafourche parish, home to its Thibodaux branch.

All mobile banking and online transactions also remained functional to help members access their financial services. Freeman mentions, “It is our burden of responsibility to be here for our members. We wear it like a badge of honor that people choose us and have done so for the past 60 years. In any situation, it’s important that our team works hard to make sure that our members do not feel that we are letting them down”.

OnPath FCU is not only taking care of its members but its employees as well: 

• The OnPath FCU Leadership team accounted for all its 132 employees before, during and immediately after the hurricane and continues to provide tarping and cleaning assistance for those with damage homes.
• The credit union opened the corporate office as a temporary housing site for families unable to live in their homes and for supplies donated from community partners.
• OnPath FCU started its Employee Emergency Assistance Program, which to date has collected $20K in donations to help offset employee out-of-pocket, hurricane-related costs.
• The credit union received donations of generators, gas, food and personal supplies for employees and the community affected by Ida. from Gulf Winds FCU in Florida and Beacon FCU in Texas.

Two weeks after hurricane Ida tore through the state, Louisianans are preparing for the effects of tropical storm Nicholas after it hits the Texas gulf coast on Monday night. According to the National Hurricane Center, tropical storm Nicholas will make landfall in Louisiana on Wednesday.

OnPath FCU promises to continue delivering unparalleled services and excellence during the toughest of times. For updates and announcements, visit https://www.beonpath.org/

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OnPath Federal Credit Union started from the docks as Avondale Shipyards Inc., or ASI Federal Credit Union in 1961. Using the feedback of members and the community in general, they officially rebranded as OnPath FCU in 2019 to create a name that captures their past and represents their vision for the future.

OnPath FCU is committed to building a stronger community beginning with their financial services. By providing fairly-priced loans, a place to conduct transactions at a reasonable cost, and a safe place to save and build assets, they offer everyone in the community services that help keep them on track to success and achieve their financial goals.

Beacon Federal Credit Union was chartered as DuPont La Porte Federal Credit Union in March of 1949. In 2005, they were granted a community charter and officially changed their name to Beacon Federal Credit Union. Over the past 69 years, BFCU has evolved through community involvement, financial education and as a valued partner to the communities that it serves. Beacon now services about 17,000 members and has over $170 million in assets.

About Gulf Winds:

Since 1954, Gulf Winds Credit Union has offered products and services that empower our members to live their best financial lives. Gulf Winds provides 76,000+ members with the convenience of 13 branch locations, online and mobile banking, nationwide surcharge-free ATMs and the support of more than 200 knowledgeable employees committed to providing “Service That Soars Above.” Membership is open to anyone that lives, works, worships or attends school in North Florida, Southern Alabama and Southern Georgia. Visit GoGulfWinds.com for more information.