PINE BLUFF, Ark., Oct. 24, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The roof on Rosetta Griffin's home leaked so severely that she could no longer catch the water in pans or buckets. Instead, she had to drag barrels into the house.
"The situation was very stressful," she said. "It got to the point that I didn't even want to go into my kitchen when it was raining because the roof leaked so bad."
Ms. Griffin, whose two grandsons live with her, worked full-time for 31 years as a custodian, but she's now retired and living on Social Security and a small retirement package from her job. While she's been able to pay to have some small home repairs done, a new roof was well beyond anything her budget could handle.
Earlier this year, Ms. Griffin visited the Pine Bluff City Hall to apply for a home assistance program offered by the city. It was there she was referred to the Dream Maker Housing Counseling Agency in Pine Bluff to ask about applying for a grant.
In June, the home Griffin has lived in for more than 30 years got a new roof thanks to a $6,300 Special Needs Assistance Program (SNAP) grant from Union Bank and Trust in Pine Bluff and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas).
SNAP grants are made available through FHLB Dallas member institutions, including Union Bank and Trust, to assist income-qualified, special needs homeowners with necessary home repairs and modifications. In 2011, FHLB Dallas made $2.1 million in SNAP funding available to its members. Each SNAP recipient is eligible to receive up to $5,000. If the participating member financial institution contributes at least $350 toward costs associated with the rehabilitation, the homeowner is eligible to receive up to $7,000 from FHLB Dallas.
Dream Maker Housing founder Frances Newsome said the agency has worked with 15 homeowners in 2011 to apply for SNAP grants totaling $98,700.
The agency helps applicants fill out the applications, which are then forwarded to Cassie Ply, compliance officer at Union Bank and Trust. Union Bank and Trust has awarded $110,000 in SNAP grants in 2011 to 17 recipients.
"We provide outreach and marketing to locate families that would benefit from the SNAP grant and assist them in completing and submitting their applications," Ms. Newsome said. "We also review the proposals for repairs and advise recipients that they should ensure that the contractors they hire are licensed and insured, and that they have provided references."
Ms. Griffin's roof leaked for such a long time that she still catches herself avoiding her kitchen when it rains, even though the new roof keeps everything inside dry. "I can't express how much it means to me to have the roof replaced," she said. "It took a lot of worry off my shoulders."
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 $31.4 billion as of June 30, 2011, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community development by providing competitively priced advances and other credit products to more than 900 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. For more information, visit the FHLB Dallas website at fhlb.com.
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3013