Wednesday’s Hope-Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce Coffee took place in the lobby of Hope’s Red River Credit Union branch on Walmart Street, starting at about 9:30 a.m.  As patrons did their banking, they could stop by and sample some lovely treats from the grazing board and have a morning coffee or juice.

Patricia Cunningham, director of foundation and community development for RRCU, put together an alluring assortment of fruits, sweets and baked items that included the berries straw-, rasp-, and black as well as chocolate-covered cheesecake bars, yogurt-covered almonds and donuts.  Pineapple-orange juice punch on ice and Hebrews 11:1 coffee were available, too.

As well as seeing to the hospitality of the coffee, Cunningham oversees RRCU’s efforts to better its world. “We started a foundation two years ago,” she said, referring to Red River Credit Union Gives.  “We do grants for housing, hunger and education. So any organization that's a 501c3 can apply for our grant, and it's only open the month of June.”  She said potential applicants should go to their website for the purpose. Cunningham describes the application as “super easy” and said “Any organization that has programs around housing, hunger, education can apply.”

The event drew about two dozen by about the 30-minute mark, many of whom were Red River Credit members having just done their banking.  Cunningham explained that while the Union began as a servicer to Red River Army Depot employees, it has opened itself over the years to anyone needing an account, credit or loans. 

“We are anybody's Credit Union,” Cunningham said. “We have members that are paycheck to paycheck. We have members that you know have more money than they probably know what to do with.”