(WKYT) – A Berea community is rallying around a bank teller who survived last Thursday’s deadly U.S. Bank shooting.
Friends of Todd Cress have launched a meal train to help ease the burden as he begins his emotional recovery. Cress was working at the U.S. Bank in Berea during the April 30 bank robbery that left two employees dead.
Kimberly Hammons said the shooting hit close to home.
“Immediately whenever I found out that Todd could have been a victim, I reached out on Facebook and I was like, please let me know… is Todd okay?” Hammons said. “And it wasn’t until that night that I found out that Todd was okay. And I was devastated for the victims and relief for my friend at the same time.”
Community steps in to help
Hammons and fellow friend Ashley Fothergill organized a meal train for the Cress family, which includes two adults and three children.
“The meal train… I feel like it was something, as a mom, that you just wanted to pull off the plate,” Fothergill said. “There wasn’t a whole lot we could do.”
Dozens of community members have already signed up. Hammons said the goal is to ease daily burdens so Cress can focus on rest and healing.
“It’s really shown me that I’m in the right community, that I chose the right place to live,” Hammons said. “I just hope they feel loved. I hope they know how important that they are as a family. I hope they know that they can lean on their community. They’re not in this alone… we’re here.”
Fothergill said she knew Cress from passing through the bank.
“He’s pretty much the face of the bank whenever I come in or I have to do a transaction,” Fothergill said. “He’s the one that I see first and he always greets me, and he’s always super nice, and we talk about our kids.”
The April 30 robbery left bank employees Breanna Edwards and Brian Switzer dead. Cress and another employee were left unharmed.
Organizers said while this effort is focused on helping Cress, they know he may not be the only one hurting. They are hoping to connect with any other families impacted who may need support.
In just a few days, organizers have raised more than a thousand dollars in gift cards and meals to help support the Cress family.