Santee Cooper Credit Union

I have been a member, not a customer as people are called by traditional banks, in good standing since 2018 and have received excellent customer service from the staff at the Market Common location. I recently applied for a small Signature Loan for short term help. I am an independent contractor who recently had to miss time from project due to a recent family tragedy. I provided income verification as the loan officer advised me to do, however, once I supplied that information, I was then told that since I hadn't worked on the same project for at least two years that Santee Cooper could not assist me for any loan amount. (I asked for $500 but was willing to take any amount for which I might qualify.) Anyone who has ever worked as an independent contractor knows that we move from project to project based upon the time of the contract. The freedom to be able to work in different fields and for different clients is what draws us to being independent contractors. I find it incredulous that a nonprofit company that claims to value its members as an integral part of the organization can't find it within their conscience to help a member in a time of need. If I wanted this kind of treatment, I could easily go back to Bank of America or any of the other profit-driven institutions that only treat you like a number instead of a valued member. Needless to say, I will most likely be closing my accounts very soon and finding another credit union that truly values its members.