Independent Banker - September 2023 - 40

National Community Bank Service Awards
Exceptional Community
Bank Service Award
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Awarded to a bank that developed its
service program three or more years ago
CEO Alan
Renfroe with
Jennifer
Garlich, SVP
and director
of marketing
Garlich's immediate response was
to ask, " Is there anything we can do? "
She checked in with First Federal's
president and CEO, Alan Renfroe, who
had the same response.
" I had met the president of the Bank
of Anguilla, Andy Anderson, " he recalls.
" I knew they were from a small town,
even smaller than where we are in
Jackson County. So, we felt a kindred
spirit with them. And that's why we
wanted to reach out and see if there was
something we could do that would help
them in some small way. "
fBreaking bread
Rebuilding a tornado-ravaged community
By Roshan McArthur
n March 24, 2023, a tornado
with wind speeds of up to 197
mph tore through the small towns of
Rolling Fork and Silver City, Miss. It
caused catastrophic damage, killing
17 people and injuring 165.
When the news reached senior vice
president and director of marketing
Jennifer Garlich at First Federal
Savings & Loan, 270 miles to the south
First Federal Savings
& Loan Association
Asset size: $350 million
Location: Pascagoula, Miss.
firstwithus.com
O
in Pascagoula, she immediately sent
a text to Susan Perry, the director of
marketing at the Bank of Anguilla in
Rolling Fork. The two had just met by
phone, fi ve days before the tornado, to
discuss plans for a statewide " Battle of
the Banks " blood drive.
Perry texted straight back. " She
said that they had crawled out of their
home, by the grace of God, " recalls
Garlich, " that it was destroyed and
that they barely escaped. And so of
course, I was fl oored. It gives me
chills right now talking about it. "
Out of the Bank of Anguilla's team
of 32, four lost their homes entirely
that day and the homes of 11 others
suff ered signifi cant damage.
40 // ICBA Independent Banker // September 2023
Reaching out to help others is
something of a tradition at First
Federal, and they usually do it
with food. " Like true Southerners, "
says Garlich, " our employees enjoy
the fellowship of food, family and
friendship. " Twenty-fi ve years ago,
it started with Tuna Tuesdays, when
First Federal sold tuna salad lunches to
benefi t the American Heart Association.
But over the years, the team has applied
their culinary skills to raising money for
causes including the American Cancer
Society and Habitat for Humanity.
A typical First Federal fundraiser
sells up to 150 lunches. To help the
Bank of Anguilla, Renfroe challenged
his team to put together their biggest
fundraiser yet: a fi sh fry, with an
initial goal of 300 lunches. Two days
before the event, they had sold 500.
On event day, they reached over 600,
with members of the community
contributing extra funds.
" When you have these acts of
kindness, and for [First Federal's staff ]
to come through like they did, it's really
uplifting and provides moments of joy
and happiness, " says Andy Anderson,
Bank of Anguilla's president and CEO.
" Not to mention the monetary impact
of what they did! "
On April 20, First Federal presented
a check to the Bank of Anguilla for
$11,600, money that went to the bank's
employee benefi t fund.
Renfroe reports that most of Rolling
Fork's immediate needs have now been
Photos: Justin Hartley
http://www.firstwithus.com
Independent Banker - September 2023

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