The $3 billion Redstone Federal Credit Union, which still hastwo of its northern Alabama branches shuttered following the April27 tornado siege, said Friday it is greatly expanding its reliefeffort to help storm victims by sponsoring a weekend cookoff for1,000 and starting a food shuttling operation to hard-hit smalltowns.

More than 50 employees, their families and volunteers along withteams of individuals originally scheduled to participate in theannual Whistle Stop Festival and Rocket City BBQ in Huntsville willinstead be cooking for tornado survivors, volunteers and workersthis weekend.

Starting on Saturday, Redstone teams will truck food and othersupplies into the many small Alabama communities which lost wholebusiness and residential sections. Among those benefitting from theRedstone generosity will be Hackleburg, Harvest and Phil Campbell,all communities featured in network TV coverage over the past twoweeks.

Meanwhile, the National Credit Union Foundation said its onlineCUAid program to aid CU employees who have been victims of theSouthern and Midwest tornadoes has now topped $50,000 in a week’speriod.

“The outpouring of support from the credit union movement hasbeen amazing," said Christopher Morris, NCUF director ofcommunications. “A wide range of CU organizations and individualshave helped make a big difference to those credit union people inneed.”

The effort by Redstone in hard-hit northern Alabama includesdistributing food to local agencies as well and they include the Salvation Army, Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, theHarvest Youth Center, First Baptist Volunteer Center, American RedCross and agencies in Tanner, an outlying Huntsville communitywhich sustained major damage.

Redstone said it expects to have employees start tonight“pulling pork, making and wrapping sandwiches and putting them inpaper bags and boxed along with chips and a drink to bedelivered.”

The boxed lunches, other supplies, including non-perishable fooditems and cleaning supplies, all “thoughtfully donated by RedstoneFederal employees will be delivered to those hard-hit areas,” saidJoseph H. Newberry, president/CEO.

“The credit union is honored to be able to offer this outreachas one of many ways we are supporting the community during therecovery and rebuilding. Teaming up with these community partnersto feed so many people is a great example of the credit unionmotto: ‘People Helping People.’”