Navy Federal Gives The Gift Of Christmas To 120 Local Families

December 23, 2020

Navy Federal Credit Union team members put on their Santa hats to give the gift of Christmas to a record 120 local families in need. The spirit of giving supports Project Neighbors, the credit union’s 17th annual employee-driven holiday giving program.

“Our team looks forward to Project Neighbors every year,” said Sonya Cain, assistant supervisor at Navy Federal. “It’s our way to give back together and support the communities where we live and serve. This year especially, with the pandemic and Hurricane Sally, many families need the extra help.”

Sonya and the team adopted the Jones family, which included a recently widowed mother, Amanda, and her two children who lost their father to a massive heart attack in October. Amanda’s wish list, like many of the other families, asked for standard household items, toys and clothes for the children. Her major need was a new set of tires. Sonya and her team got to shopping, using their own personal funds, to cross off the items on the list.

When the Navy Federal team showed up to the Jones home to deliver the gifts, Amanda and her children were smiling from ear to ear. They had no idea of the surprise in store for them.

“One thing I love about our community is how we care for each other,” said Sonya. “When I called Vannoy’s Tires and told them about Amanda’s need for new tires, there was no hesitation in making it happen.”

Clayton Vannoy, regional manager of Vannoy’s Tires, shared the happy news with Amanda and tears came to her eyes.

“Since losing my husband, I’ve had to hit the ground running and haven’t processed it all,” said Amanda. “This is a true blessing. I can’t say thank you enough for caring for my family.”

Families selected for Project Neighbors were identified in partnership with teachers across Escambia and Santa Rosa County school districts.

In addition to the Project Neighbors program, Navy Federal’s Pensacola team also gave back this holiday season through gathering toys and donating $2,000 to the local Toys for Tots program lead by the United States Marine Corps.

Comments

2 Responses to “Navy Federal Gives The Gift Of Christmas To 120 Local Families”

  1. Jeremiah on December 24th, 2020 7:38 pm

    I work for The Arc Gateway in Pensacola and we have families that were apart of this wonderful process. I’ve never seen so many gifts for just one family. I know our families were beyond appreciative.

  2. Smiling on December 23rd, 2020 1:33 pm

    Great story and such a GREAT act of kindness!

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under FEATURE TOP STORY, Features, News