When a Wisconsin family moved to Cape Coral in June, the last thing they expected was to live through a life-threatening hurricane just a few months later. With no friends or family nearby, their support system became the people they work with at Achieva Credit Union.
“Several times a day, just checking in, ‘hey, what do you need? Is there anything I can do,’ which was great, I never had an employer do that before, but I’ve never been through a natural disaster before either,” said Achieva employee Kevin Stamn.
Stamn and his wife Jennifer said the days following the storm were just as scary as the storm itself.
“Obviously, no power, no water for about a week,” said Kevin.
The Stamns were among 70 employees from 11 Achieve branches affected by Ian. That’s when COO Jennifer Galley and the rest of Achieva management rolled up their sleeves and went to work.
“So immediately, I thought I’d jump in my car and get down there so I can really understand what’s happening and what the most immediate needs are,” said Galley.
The Achieva leadership didn’t show up empty-handed, they brought water, food, gas and 40 generators for families like the Stamns.
“We both were floored; our mouths just dropped,” said Jennifer Stamn.
“Not expecting a full-blown one in a box, with gas available, filled to the brim in cans, and plus whatever necessities you need, so we were grateful,” said Kevin.
“There is no replacement for being there and really kind of living side by side with some of those people,” said Galley. “I just can’t imagine what they went through, but I can understand some of the nuances, having been logistically very close.”
Weeks later, Galley continues to check in on those employees affected.
“It’s really important for the outside world to understand that we’re still going through this right now. We’re still living this traumatic experience,” said Jennifer Stamn.