NATCHITOCHES, La., Aug. 2, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- It's never a good time to face a leaking roof in your home, but for Rosie Humphrey, it was especially bad timing.
The 63-year-old woman was forced to retire from her job as a van driver for a local agency after she developed kidney disease. "I was on dialysis, and now I'm retired and living on Social Security," she said.
Mrs. Humphrey put up with the leaking roof for about a year. Even though the water was beginning to cause damage inside the house, Mrs. Humphrey didn't have the money to pay for a new roof.
A trip to the grocery store one day, however, brought a glimmer of hope. She saw a notice on the store's bulletin board about a grant that would pay for home repairs for qualified homeowners. She jotted down the information and immediately got in touch with Peoples State Bank to ask about the grant.
Lewis McBryde, III, vice president and business development officer at Peoples State Bank, encouraged her to apply for a Special Needs Assistance Program (SNAP) grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas).
SNAP grants are made available through FHLB Dallas member financial institutions, such as Peoples State Bank, 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, and another $1.35 million was made available in 2012.
"We are thrilled to be able to offer these funds," said Mr. McBryde. "This grant program has allowed the bank to help families with modifications to make their home a safer place to live."
Mrs. Humphrey received a $5,000 SNAP grant to pay for a new roof and other necessary repairs in her home. That was great news, and it was followed by even better news. On May 21, 2012, Mrs. Humphrey underwent a successful kidney transplant.
"Prior to her transplant, the bedroom where Mrs. Humphrey slept at night was extremely harmful to her health," said LaCarsha Babers, vice president and CRA officer for Peoples State Bank. "The walls directly above her head board had mold, and her living room ceiling was rotten due to a damaged, leaking roof. All of those repairs were made as a result of the SNAP grant."
Mrs. Humphrey said she is grateful for the program that helped make her house a home again. "Before the repairs were done, I didn't want anyone coming inside the house," she said. "Now I don't mind."
About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 12 district banks in the Flank System created by Congress in 1932. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $34.7 billion as of June 30, 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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