Free gas, groceries + utilities: How one institution is surprising locals

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An Acts of Brightness team member with Redstone Federal Credit Union surprises a couple by paying for their groceries. — This couple was thrilled to have their grocery + gardening haul covered recently. (Redstone Federal Credit Union)

Since January, hundreds of people in North Alabama and Middle Tennessee have gotten some awesome surprises, like free gas, groceries and utilities, thanks to Huntsville-based Redstone Federal Credit Union.

Throughout 2026, as part of its 75th-anniversary celebration, Redstone is doing “Acts of Brightness” for residents of communities it serves. Team members show up unannounced and tell folks to put away their wallets before picking up the tabs for them, no membership required.

Nine events in, Redstone has given more than $70,000 directly to hundreds of families and has 14 more events still on the calendar.

Read on to learn more about why the credit union launched this initiative, reactions + how to become a member.

How Redstone’s Acts of Brightness help families

A Redstone Federal Credit Union team member surprises a woman at a gas station with free gas — Imagine stopping for a fill-up and hearing, “We’ll take care of that for you!” (Redstone Federal Credit Union)

Redstone has many initiatives in the works to commemorate its milestone year, and Acts of Brightness is a big one in terms of direct impact on people. The crew arrives by surprise in their signature bright blue shirts and picks up the bill for folks at places where they incur expenses for everyday essentials.

At a recent stop at Athens Utilities, the Redstone team paid water, electric and gas bills for approximately 25 families. They helped some residents restore disconnected utilities and credited some others’ accounts.

At one of the grocery store stops, a mom was beyond thrilled to have her family’s whole haul covered, including some extras she may have skipped otherwise:

“It was a great surprise. I am super grateful, especially in this economy right now. I got meat for my family. I got my kids’ sports drinks and we got some fun little snacks. This was a super big surprise—I appreciate it!”
_{Redstone Acts of Brightness recipient Delanie Walker}

Redstone Acts of Brightness: How + why they do it

A Redstone Federal Credit Union team member surprises an Athens Utilities customer by covering her bill — Many Athens Utilities customers had their bills covered recently by the Redstone Acts of Brightness crew. (Redstone Federal Credit Union)

While Redstone offers its members many exclusive benefits, it chose to widen the net for the Acts of Brightness initiative, and here’s why, in their words:

“We aren’t going to ask you what your credit score is. There is not a catch. We simply just want to pay for your everyday life expenses and alleviate some of that financial burden.”
_{Redstone Federal Credit Union Acts of Brightness Team}

“These moments remind us why community matters. I truly believe that what we focus on becomes what matters. Through Acts of Brightness, we’re focused on making a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve.”
_{Redstone Federal Credit Union President & CEO Joe Newberry}

Where the Acts of Brightness crew has shown up, so far

Acts of Brightness team with Redstone Federal Credit Union show receipts they covered at a grocery store after surprising shoppers — The Acts of Brightness team shows receipts from bills they covered for grocery shoppers. (Redstone Federal Credit Union)

As of this writing, the eight surprise visits they’ve made have been in:

Athens
Cullman
Huntsville
Scottsboro
Smyrna, TN
Murfreesboro, TN

With over 25 locations in Alabama and Middle Tennessee, you never know where they’ll show up next. But when you see the blue shirts coming, don’t walk the other way!

Looking for a financial institution known for giving back to its communities? Learn more about Redstone Federal Credit Union + how to become a member.