Navy Federal employees in Pensacola craft heartfelt gifts for hurricane-affected veterans

PENSACOLA, Fla. — Veterans impacted by the recent hurricanes will be getting some gifts from the heart, made right here in Pensacola.

At Navy Federal Credit Union on Thursday, 450 employees dedicated a workday to those who serve.

When the hybrid staff of Navy Federal comes together in person to do service projects, they call them “moments that matter.” Thursday’s atmosphere was part celebration, part friendly competition, and most of all a chance to make a difference.

They teamed up with a nonprofit called Soldiers’ Angels to make no-sew blankets for veterans injured or displaced by hurricanes Helene and Milton.

“You just can’t help but be touched by that mission,” Navy Federal Manager of External Affairs Jordan Conti said. “So these no-sew blankets will be flown to VA hospitals to hopefully be a warm hug to these veterans who are really experiencing a rough time.”

Conti says when employees found out about this project, there was a waiting list to work on it.

“It’s very personal, and it’s very personal to this area,” she said. “Many of our team members went through Sally just a few years ago.”

Each employee gets eight hours of paid volunteer service a year. They choose the projects that mean the most to them.

Soldiers’ Angels President and CEO Amy Palmer says many of the veterans who’ll receive these blankets are alone in the world. The only visitors they get may be from non-profits.

“When they get the finished product, it’s beautiful. We roll it up and put ribbon and a special note on it,” she said. “We’ve actually had veterans buried with that blanket before, and we’ve seen veterans years later with that note on their bulletin board. We actually saw one of the Navy Federal Credit Union notes on a bulletin board in another state three years later the event.”

They’re simple gifts made with love. And for the Navy Federal employees, it was all in a day’s work.

“It’s a little taste of home they didn’t have, and it warms their hearts,” said Palmer.

She added that Navy Federal Credit Union has been a partner for several years and does their biggest blanket event.

To find out more about Soldiers’ Angels, which was founded by the family of General George Patton, click here.