CONVERSE, Texas, March 7, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) and Broadway Bank are pleased to announce they have awarded the first grant under the Housing Assistance for Veterans (HAVEN) program to Michael Wright, an Army veteran who served in Baghdad.
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HAVEN is a unique, new grant program that targets veterans and active duty service members who have been disabled in the line of duty since September 11, 2001. HAVEN provides grants up to $7,500 to support necessary home modifications directly related to the recipient's service-related disability. FHLB Dallas has made $250,000 in HAVEN funds available to its members.
Mr. Wright was deployed to Baghdad for 15 months and was injured by a roadside bomb while on patrol. He spent a week in a hospital in Iraq before being released to his unit in Germany for follow-up care. While at his unit he was referred to specialists who were able to determine the extent of his injuries.
Since returning to the states, Mr. Wright has been unable to work because of his injuries. He learned of the HAVEN program at a Wounded Warrior event. He contacted Broadway Bank, an FHLB Dallas member institution, and he qualified for a $5,000 grant.
"It helped me a lot, and I think it will help other veterans because the amount you receive through the Veteran's Administration grant for home modification, with most contractors, doesn't cover enough of the work you need done," he said.
Modifications to Mr. Wright's home include installing a new tile floor ramp leading into the shower, relocating the toilet for easier access, and constructing a sidewalk with an incline that connects to the Wrights' door.
"Broadway Bank is greatly honored to be a part of this very worthy endeavor," said Jeannette Flores Westbrook, senior vice president of Community Reinvestment for Broadway Bank. "We at Broadway Bank believe that it is essential to give back to the community that helped make us successful. And because our founder, Colonel Charles E. Cheever Sr., first achieved his success in the military, this initiative is a tailored fit with our corporate history and philosophy."
HAVEN grants are made available through FHLB Dallas member institutions, such as Broadway Bank. For more information on the program, please see the Community Investment section of FHLB Dallas's website at www.fhlb.com.
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 $35.8 billion as of December 31, 2012, 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.
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About Broadway Bank
Broadway Bank was founded in 1941 to serve the San Antonio community. It has evolved from a small neighborhood bank into the largest independently-owned bank headquartered in the San Antonio metropolitan area, and continues to operate as a locally-owned and operated financial institution. Broadway Bank offers a full range of sophisticated financial services, including personal banking, private banking, military banking, business banking and wealth management. With more than $2.8 billion in total assets, the highly-rated bank operates 39 locations in South Central Texas and the surrounding area. Visit the Broadway Bank website at www.broadwaybank.com for more information.
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