As Credit Union Times was going to press, Hurricane Isaac was bearing down on the Mississippi Gulf area.We are hopeful that credit unions and their employees stay hunkereddown and safe through this stressful time. Like the rest of thecountry, we're awaiting reports back from colleagues, family andfriends in the affected areas. Our thoughts are with them.

Reports from credit unions in the region were spotty atdeadline, and many branches in the affected area were reportedlyclosed. In response to the storm, the NCUA announced that it wouldencourage credit unions to offer special terms on loans withreduced documentation for affected members, reschedule exams andensure liquidity. All of these policy changes are reasonable to thetemporary, regionalized circumstances. It is nice to see that theNCUA, like credit unions, understands things happen beyond anyone'scontrol and credit unions need to be able to respond to them andtheir members' needs in times of crisis.

Credit unions, as they always do, will be working extra hard toassist their members through the ordeal. Even as the credit unions'employees deal with their own personal struggles with Isaac,they'll be there for their members. That's what they do and whothey are.

While, thankfully, Isaac isn't expected to be as destructive asHurricane Katrina, credit unions and their regulators were workingto restore services to the members–and nonmembers as permitted inemergency situations–and help pull members' lives back together. Ihave it on good account a law or two got fractured here and therein that situation but all in the name of serving the members' needsin that unaccounted for tragedy. Credit unions also help eachother.

It's not only in times of strife that credit unions areassisting their members but every day. Recently a number of creditunions announced member dividends to be paid out. South Florida Educational FCU for example announced a $2million dividend going out last month for a total of $16.3 millionsince 2007. MECU in Baltimore paid out more than $2 million this summer andplans another dividend in December. Other credit unions choose toshare the not-for-profit, cooperative spirit by discountingproducts and services year round. Either way, credit unionsconsistently demonstrate their difference and particularly in timesof great need for their members and the credit union community.

Even supporting actors in the credit union community share thewealth. Credit Union 24 announced a patronage dividend last monthof more than $1 million for member credit unions. CU*NorthWest also recently announced its first dividend sincelaunching in 2005.

And credit unions are consistently supporting worthy causes,from Children's Miracle Network to other favorites. Northeast Family FCU got very creative with a recent fundraisersupporting American Friends of Kenya. CEO Joanne Todd's back wasscheduled to be up against the wall, literally, last week. For ameasly $5 donation, people can tape Todd to the wall, and the jobisn't complete until she can be suspended without support. The goalwas to raise $4,000. Good luck and great idea to borrow.

Thank you for all that you do to make our world a better place.It makes me proud to work at an organization that supports thecredit union community. I also wanted to make sure I thankedeveryone again for their congratulatory emails, tweets and directmessages, Facebook posts, LinkedIn messages and phone callsregarding my promotion to publisher in addition to editor-in-chief. You've all played arole in Credit Union Times' and my personal success. In myexpanded role, I look forward to continuing to push the publishingenvelop to keep Credit Union Times and CUTimes.com the No. 1 independentcredit union news source into the future.