Months after Hurricane Sandy destroyed communities in severalstates, NEFCU said it is in it for the long haul to help thoseimpacted by the storm.

The $2 billion credit union in Westbury, N.Y., said it provided$50 million in low-cost loans to the Long Island community.

Personal loans with a 1% annual percentage rate for the firstyear to assist with repairs and auto loan discounts and low autoloan rates to replace vehicles lost in the storm were madeavailable.

As a result of these programs, NEFCU said it experienced loanvolumes that were two and a half times and one and a half times itstypical volumes, respectively.

NEFCU said it also offered a 0% interest rate on its Visacredit card for purchases made at major home improvement retailersas well as a 90-day payment deferral option on its loans.

A designation as a small business loan expeditor gave the credit union the abilityto provide business loans and lines of credit to help businessowners in need due to Sandy, NEFCU said. This allowed organizationsto get their funds more quickly and experience an all-aroundstreamlined application process, the credit union added.

NEFCU said it also donated $20,000 to Long Island Cares forlocal Sandy relief efforts. Fifty-four of its members receivedfunding totaling $35,000 from the National Credit UnionFoundation's CUAid.coop program for disaster relief recoveryefforts.

“We are extremely proud to have been able to respond so quicklyto the needs of those most hard-hit, and provide the assistancethey needed to begin the rebuilding process,” said EdwardPaternostro, president/CEO of NEFCU.

“We have called Long Island our home for 75 years, and while weacknowledge it will take much time for our community to return tonormalcy, our organization continues to stand ready to assist ourneighbors through the restoration process,” Paternostro said.