VICKSBURG, Miss., June 6, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- When rain from the gutters leaked into the house and the faucet in the bathtub broke, 76-year-old Martha Knight hired the only repair people she could afford on her fixed income. Unfortunately, the repair work she received on her 30-year-old house was poor, and the problems persisted.
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"I tried to have the problems repaired on my own, but I couldn't afford to hire professionals," said Mrs. Knight. "The people did the best they could, but the work that was done did not fix the problems."
Mrs. Knight was paying her bills at the Vicksburg city hall, and noticed a sign regarding the Special Needs Assistance Program (SNAP).
The SNAP grant program, offered by the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas), through its member financial institutions, provides grants to assist income-qualified, special needs homeowners with necessary home repairs and modifications.
While she was at the city hall, Mrs. Knight inquired about the SNAP grants, and was introduced to Leona Barnes-Stringer, housing coordinator for the city of Vicksburg. They worked on the SNAP grant application with Trustmark National Bank (Trustmark), an FHLB Dallas member financial institution.
"For homeowners on a fixed income, paying for renovation costs can prove to be difficult," said Steffani Jenkins, first vice president and director of community development at Trustmark. "With the help of SNAP grants, homeowners are able to have necessary repairs made, which will ultimately improve the quality of not only their homes, but also their lives."
Mrs. Knight was awarded a $5,000 SNAP grant to pay for the repairs to her home.
"Thanks to the SNAP grant provided by FHLB Dallas and Trustmark, Mrs. Knight has the comfort and security of a new roof," said Ms. Stringer. "She also had the rain gutters, shutters and the bathroom tub repaired. These repairs have greatly improved her life."
Before the work was done, Mrs. Knight felt that she had the world on her shoulders. "Now my spirits have been lifted up," said Mrs. Knight.
Since SNAP's inception, more than $7.3 million in grants have been awarded through FHLB Dallas member institutions to assist 1,464 families throughout FHLB Dallas' five-state District of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Texas.
FHLB Dallas recently announced it would make available to members another $850,000 in SNAP funds beginning July 1, bringing the total allocation for the year to $1.85 million. To learn more about SNAP and other FHLB Dallas programs, visit 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 $30.6 billion as of March 31, 2014, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community development by providing competitively priced loans and other credit products to approximately 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 photo is also available via AP PhotoExpress.
