University Federal Credit Union employee who collected Christmas gifts for customer gets own surprise

Nicole Villalpando and Colleen DeGuzman, Austin American-Statesman
·4 min read

Caitlin Coker and a co-worker came together this holiday season to help one of the members of University Federal Credit Union, where she works.

"I just heard that there was a single mother with three sick children that was struggling and was not going to be able to have a Christmas," Coker said. "I couldn't have that. I had to help the best I could."

On Dec. 23, Coker got her own big surprise. That mom wasn't the only single mother helped with gifts from UFCU employees.

Coker's co-workers also raised $8,300 for Coker and her family, in addition to providing some toys for the kids, after reading about her family's situation in stories about the Statesman's Season for Caring program. UFCU gave her an additional $1,000.

University Federal Credit Union Vice President Chris Turnley presents to Caitlyn Coker money collected by employees and from the credit union Thursday.
University Federal Credit Union Vice President Chris Turnley presents to Caitlyn Coker money collected by employees and from the credit union Thursday.

Coker's co-workers really didn't know the struggles that Coker was experiencing until they read about them in the Statesman.

"Sometimes we don't share everything with each other," said Monica Williams, UFCU's social impact and community affairs manager.

Coker and her grandmother Diana Sneed are part of the Statesman's Season for Caring program, which highlights the needs of local families that have been nominated by area nonprofit organizations.

They were nominated by Meals on Wheels Central Texas after Sneed's home burned down in July and Coker and her three sons took in Sneed and the two granddaughters Sneed is raising.

"I'm only 30, and taking care of all six of them is hard," Coker said. Meals on Wheels has helped a lot, she said.

Housing needed: A better place to live, staying housed on wish list for many Season for Caring families

UFCU"s Williams heard that Coker was helping the other mother out, not that Coker herself needed help. Coker's co-workers said, "Oh, yes, that's so Cay to do something like that," Williams said. "That's par for the course for her."

Coker was shocked when Chris Turnley, the vice present of retail at UFCU, presented the gifts to her. "I had no idea," she said.

Caitlyn Coker is surprised by help from her co-workers at University Federal Credit Union. She and another co-worker were already trying to help another single mom during the holiday season.
Caitlyn Coker is surprised by help from her co-workers at University Federal Credit Union. She and another co-worker were already trying to help another single mom during the holiday season.

Read more: Grandma rebuilding after house burned down

It's a bit of good news in a year that has been hard for Coker and her family.

The Sneed home burned down the morning of July 29 because of faulty wiring. They had insurance, but it had lapsed six days earlier.

The fire took more than the family’s furniture, clothes and other things from them — it destroyed the home where their last memories with Coker's grandfather, James Sneed, were formed.

He died of a heart attack in 2015 at age 62.

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Coker was raised in that home, and it was where the family would gather. In that living room, James Sneed, who was known as Papi by his family, would tackle Coker's sons until they were laughing so hard, they were on the floor gasping for air. On the front porch, he would tell his best stories and jokes to Coker, his oldest granddaughter.

And in that bedroom, Papi would wake up his wife, Diana, by bringing her a plate of breakfast to bed: sunny side up eggs and bacon. Cooking, after all, was his love language.

The family was able to salvage only one photo of Papi from the fire.

“For me, this is about my grandpa,” Coker said. “I could build more memories, but he’s never coming back. I think, for me, that’s the hardest thing because I can’t build those memories again. Everything else can be replaced.”

The Sneed family needs an attorney to help with settling the house affairs; window blinds and curtains; a washer and dryer; and gift cards for H-E-B, Target and Walmart.

To find out more about the Sneed family or to fulfill an item on its wish list, contact Meals on Wheels Central Texas, 512-476-6325, mealsonwheelscentraltexas.org.

Donate to Statesman Season for Caring

Find out more about Season for Caring, read the stories of the featured families and make a donation at statesman.com/seasonforcaring. You also can find a coupon to mail in a donation on Page 2B.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Statesman Season for Caring recipient gets big surprise from UFCU co-workers