Stories

Weeklong festivities in tornado-stricken town included surprise deliveries, ribbon cutting and community event. 

On the night of December 10, 2021, Gracie Cavin and her family prepared a storm shelter in their bathroom and waited for forecasted severe weather to hit Mayfield, Kentucky. As predicted, the storm swept through her neighborhood around 9:30 p.m. CT. 

“What we heard is a sound we will never forget,” said the Mayfield branch manager who celebrates 16 years with U.S. Bank this month, “…winds howling, hail and rain hitting the house, and then utter silence. Once my family was safe, my husband John – who works for the sheriff’s department – immediately left to go help those in our community.”

Just 600 feet from her home, the aftermath was indescribable. While Cavin and thousands of others in the community assessed needs and pitched in to help wherever possible, she also surveyed damage at the Mayfield branch and connected with employees.

“After we realized the branch had extensive damage, we deployed the U.S. Bank Mobile Banking Unit,” she recalled. “During the next week, members from U.S. Bank came down to volunteer their time handing out supplies to members of the community who were impacted.” 

Staffed by local bankers, the mobile unit includes the features of a brick-and-mortar branch at a smaller scale, is ADA-accessible, and features two teller windows, an ATM, an office and a small “lobby.” After four months of utilizing the unit, it fully served its purpose. 

“We are all thrilled to welcome customers back into our Mayfield branch,” said Ashley Johnson, U.S. Bank district manager in Western Kentucky. 

The week of April 11, the branch celebrated its grand re-opening with special festivities. Throughout the week, U.S. Bank employees delivered surprises to area customers, businesses and organizations. Thursday, April 14, a ribbon cutting took place that included U.S. Bank Vice Chair of Consumer and Business Banking Tim Welsh, customers and community partners. Monetary donations were made to Homes and Hope for Kentucky and Rotary Club of Mayfield. Friday, April 15, the community came out to enjoy a Kona ice truck, balloon animals and refreshments.

“It felt so good to see our Mayfield team and the local community in full smiles at the ribbon cutting,” said Community East Regional Executive Bill Jones. “I have been blown away by the positivity of our employees and their perseverance. As a Kentucky resident, it meant a lot that our U.S. Bank family responded in a number of tactical and generous ways from the deployment of the mobile unit to monetary donations.”

“We are really thankful for U.S. Bank’s support,” said Joe Orr, co-director of Homes and Hope for Kentucky. “We couldn’t do what we do without support of individuals and businesses in our community,” he said. The organization is currently building sixteen houses in Mayfield with a goal of 50 within the next year. 

In December, U.S. Bank donated a total of $50,000 to two additional, local nonprofit organizations, activated its ATM network across the country to accept donations to fund American Red Cross disaster relief efforts and provided a 2:1 employee matching gift.

“I’m very proud of our team members for coming together in the face of adversity in this community to continue powering the potential of our clients,” said Regional President Craig Browning.

Cavin said the recovery has been a team effort. “We are grateful to have such a great support system throughout U.S. Bank. I want to also thank my employees for working so hard throughout these past few months. It has been challenging at times, but we have been able to overcome so many obstacles.”