Georgia Credit Union Affiliates, the state’s trade organization for credit unions, delivered the unexpected by giving away gift cards to unsuspecting patrons of a local convenience store on Oct. 18, International Credit Union Day.
 
“This is so unexpected, and such a blessing, it really is,” said Anisa Washington when she was surprised with the card while preparing to fill her trunk’s tank. “I wasn’t expecting it, and the truck uses a lot of gas! This is going to be a big help, and I appreciate it!”
 
Although the cards were randomly gifted, several of the recipients stated they were members of Georgia credit unions, with Washington recently joining Georgia’s Own Credit Union after moving to the Atlanta area.
 
Terrica Bailey, senior manager of Partnerships and Projects and RaceTrac, was excited for the opportunity to work with GCUA on the initiative.
 
“We love to surprise and delight our RaceTrac guests, and the Random Acts of Kindness Challenge with GCUA was the perfect opportunity to do just that,” Bailey said. “It was a great way to show our guests how much we appreciate them.”
 
The card giveaway was part of GCUA’s ongoing Deliver the Unexpected Random Acts of Kindness Challenge. GCUA began the challenge in honor of the way Georgia’s credit unions deliver the unexpected to their members and their communities in a variety of ways every day.
 
Inspired by that dedication to members, GCUA planned several random acts of kindness. It challenged its affiliated credit unions to join the initiative and get involved, think kind and spread joy in unexpected ways in their own communities.
 
Passing out the gift cards was the third of these endeavors GCUA has participated in since the challenge began in September. The trade organization’s employees also donated supplies to a local animal shelter and pajama packs for patients at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
 
“At GCUA, we’ve genuinely enjoyed these random acts of kindness,” said Kristi Arrington, vice president of information development. “It’s been fulfilling to see the smiles on our neighbors’ faces and to know we put them there. We look forward to continuing to spread joy through additional acts of kindness. There are some very giving, creative people working at Georgia’s credit unions, and we know they’ll come up with some great ideas to deliver the unexpected in their communities.”