Press
Local humanitarian wins $500 for good deeds, $500 for charity
BATON ROUGE, LA (December 29, 2014) — Terrell Lewis, a Louisiana humanitarian, was selected as the winner of Pelican State Credit Union’s Pay It Forward Contest, which encouraged the public to perform good deeds that benefit others. Lewis received $500 for himself and $500 to donate to a charitable organization.
Lewis chose to Pay It Forward to the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Baton Rouge. Rev. Thomas Clark graciously accepted the $500 donation on behalf of the church and said it would be used at the local food pantry.
Dozens of people participated in the Pay It Forward Contest by posting pictures of themselves performing good deeds on Pelican’s Facebook page. Lewis’s wife, Rhonda, posted a picture of him delivering food to an ARC of Baton Rouge client during Thanksgiving. She said that her husband “is the most loving and giving person” she knows.
As part of its “Hand It On” series, WAFB recently highlighted the good deeds of Lewis and his friends in the “Men Giving Back Club,” which is a group of men who give their own money to help out others in the community. Lewis and his club donated 60 boxes of food to those in need this Thanksgiving.
“Mr. Lewis was randomly selected as the winner of Pelican’s Pay It Forward Contest. The credit union was not aware he had recently been recognized for his charitable actions; it was a pleasant surprise to learn that the winner was such a good and deserving person,” said Leigh Porta, Assistant Vice President.
“The ‘Pay it Forward’ concept came full circle when we rewarded Mr. Lewis with $500 and another $500 to the charity of his choice,” said Porta.
The Pay It Forward Contest is one of the many ways Pelican gives back to its branch communities. Recently, the credit union gave away a $500 classroom makeover, $4,000 in free groceries and $6,000 in scholarship awards to graduating high school students across the state.
The credit union has locations in Shreveport, Monroe, Alexandria, Pineville, Lake Charles, Opelousas, Jackson, Zachary, Baton Rouge and Denham Springs. Pelican members can benefit from free one-on-one credit counseling, a variety of convenient products and services and several opportunities to win cash and prizes throughout the year.
Click here to watch Pelican present Lewis and his charity of choice each with $500.
Pelican State Credit Union
For more than 57 years, Pelican State Credit Union has been providing financial services to individuals and their families throughout the state of Louisiana. The credit union seeks to embody its mission statement each and every day, providing innovative products and services, with a continued, dedicated focus on member loyalty. Pelican was originally chartered as the Department of Hospitals Credit Union, located in downtown Baton Rouge. Its main membership served Louisiana Charity Hospitals, Mental Health Centers and State Office Personnel. Pelican has since grown into one of the largest state chartered credit unions in Louisiana now serving over 39,300 members nationwide. For information, visit www.pelicanstatecu.com.