MONROE, La., Oct. 29, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Community Trust Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) are pleased to announce they have awarded the HOME Coalition of Northeast Louisiana (HOME Coalition) $14,000 in Partnership Grant Program (PGP) funds.
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A check presentation was conducted last week at Community Trust Bank's Monroe, Louisiana, office. The event was lauded by Louisiana State Senator Francis Thompson.
"FHLB Dallas, working with local community banks, in conjunction with the HOME Coalition, is another shining example of partnerships coming together to improve the quality of life for those in North Louisiana," Senator Thompson said.
The HOME Coalition is a Monroe, Louisiana-based coalition of nonprofits, government agencies, faith-based groups, businesses, and individuals concerned with homelessness in Northeast Louisiana. The organization will use the grant to help fund a planning coordinator position.
The planning coordinator is needed to allow the current all-volunteer led organization to fulfill goals aimed at reducing homelessness in the region and facilitating the development and implementation of a comprehensive housing and services system in response to the region's homeless population and their needs.
"The coordinator position is going to better facilitate the services we provide for the homeless in the Northeast Louisiana area," said Ella Nimmers, chairman of the board of directors of the HOME Coalition. "We have a 10-year plan to end homelessness. There are several goals we have to accomplish in the next couple of years in order to accomplish that plan. All of us are volunteers for the HOME coalition, and for a very long time we've needed someone in this position to coordinate all of these activities."
The grant, Ms. Nimmers said, has been a tremendous benefit.
"It's going to greatly expedite the process," she said. "We are all volunteers and we do this when we have time to do it. Having the grant to fund this position accelerates the timeline for accomplishing the goals that we need to accomplish. There is a tremendous amount of legislation and policies, and things are always changing. We need to keep up with those changes, and this person will be responsible for helping us with that."
The HOME Coalition learned of the PGP through a grant writer that worked for one of the agencies involved with the coalition, and Community Trust Bank, which has participated in the program for several years, was an ideal partner.
"Community Trust is always interested in being involved in the community and supporting organizations that provide services to support the homeless and other populations," Ms. Nimmers said.
FHLB Dallas awarded two partnership grants through Community Trust Bank in 2013 – the HOME Coalition grant, as well as a $4,000 PGP award to NOVA Workforce Institute of Northeast Louisiana, another local organization.
"Community Trust Bank is proud to continue our support through the FHLB Dallas Partnership Grant Program for (the HOME Coalition of) NELA as they work to meet the needs of the homeless in our community," said Shelia Grayson, vice president and community reinvestment officer at Community Trust Bank. "We are committed to finding ways to make an impact in our community."
Through the PGP, FHLB Dallas awards partnership grants through its member institutions to provide funding for the operational needs of community-based organizations involved in affordable housing and community development. FHLB Dallas matches a member's cash contribution to a community-based organization of $500 up to $5,000 at a 3:1 ratio. Through its member institutions, FHLB Dallas awarded $225,000 in partnership grants in 2013.
About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 12 district banks in the FHLBank System created by Congress in 1932. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $31.3 billion as of September 30, 2013, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community development by providing competitively priced advances and other credit products to approximately 900 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Texas.
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Corporate Communications Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas www.fhlb.com (214) 441-8445
