When the March 31 tornado ripped through Wynne in March, Cross Bank employees there sprang into action. “I’ve never seen so many people come together to help someone they didn’t know,” said David Dowd, president and CEO of Cross Bank. “Volunteers from all over hit the ground to do whatever it took — from debris removal to boarding up houses. Our staff from nearby branches came too, even helping through the weekend. We gave out more than 2,000 meals to volunteers, linemen, first responders, and those displaced by the tornado. Our staff didn’t have to do all this, but they did. It was amazing.”
Cross Bank has been helping Wynne by making grants from their fund with Arkansas Community Foundation since 2015, but the bank has been headquartered in Wynne since 1891. “Banks don’t have that longevity without genuinely caring about the communities where they have branches,” he said. “Keeli Smith, the local director for Cross County Community Foundation has been great to work with. She taught us about the power of matching gifts,” said Dowd. “Through matches, we’ve been able to maximize our impact with other donations from staff and the community. It allows us to give so much more than a bank’s budget would normally allow. That’s how we were able to almost double our donation of $25,000 for tornado recovery.
“You only have to drive around to be reminded of how hard we were hit. For Wynne to fully recover, it will take people continuing to work together and help,” he said. “Some folks have moved away already because they couldn’t rebuild or couldn’t find a place to stay.”
With a population of about 8,300, Wynne can’t afford to lose residents.
“We don’t want people to leave,” said Dowd. “Now we see issues emerging. Some landlords aren’t rebuilding; affordable housing is a problem; people are under- or uninsured, and costs are high. It might be three to four years before the high school is completely rebuilt, and the town is whole again.”
Cross Bank is committed to being part of the recovery. “Our staff don’t volunteer because they have to, they do it because they care,” he said. “Through our fund, we will continue to give to this community. Wynne is resilient. And I believe we can bounce back and be stronger than before.”