Collapsing Bathroom Floor Replaced in a Knick of Time

JACKSON, Miss., July 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- With Elizabeth Allen's bathroom floor caving in and her left knee giving out, Ms. Allen, 80, didn't know which would go first. Then the Jackson homeowner, who lives on a fixed income, was awarded a $6,000 Special Needs Assistance Program (SNAP) grant from BankPlus and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas).

Ms. Allen has lived in her home since 1958, and before retiring, she made a living "cleaning houses and keeping children," she said. But the demanding work took its toll on her body, especially her knees. The SNAP grant was, in her words, "a miracle" that came at just the right time.

"I tried for a couple of years to get a grant," she said. "The last time they turned me down, I cried and prayed. When they told me this year that I got the grant, I believe I'd have jumped if my knee hadn't hurt so badly."

The grant paid for a new tile floor and shower to replace the rotten floor and bathtub. The work was finished just in time for her recuperation after knee-replacement surgery last week.

Available through FHLB Dallas' member institutions, SNAP grants assist income-qualified, special-needs homeowners with necessary home repairs and modifications.

"Ms. Allen had been applying to the SNAP program for three years but the demand was so high that she had simply not been selected before funds would run out," said Mark Ouellette, first vice president & director of affordable housing at BankPlus. "We were so happy to finally tell her she was selected, and she was able to get the help she needed. We extend our heartfelt thanks to FHLB Dallas for giving BankPlus the opportunity year-after-year to help vulnerable members of our community."

Since SNAP's inception in 2009, more than $10.6 million has been awarded in grants through FHLB Dallas member institutions to assist more than 2,000 families across FHLB Dallas' five-state District of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Texas. In 2016, FHLB Dallas awarded nearly $1 million in SNAP grants to assist 205 families. Mississippi was awarded more than $409,000, which assisted 84 families in 2016.

"SNAP continues to be one of the Bank's most sought-after grant programs," said Greg Hettrick, first vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas. "Many elderly or disabled homeowners face particular challenges from fixed incomes, which keep them from handling home repairs before they become larger problems. FHLB Dallas is gratified to help and support them through our member institutions."

About BankPlus
BankPlus, with total assets of more than $2.6 billion, has more than 60 banking offices in 34 Mississippi communities. BankPlus is the largest certified Community Development Financial Institution in the United States. BankPlus offices are located in Belzoni, Bentonia, Brandon, Byram, Canton, Clinton, D'Iberville, Durant, Flora, Flowood, Gluckstadt, Hernando, Holly Bluff, Horn Lake, Isola, Jackson, Lexington, Madison, Meridian, Newton, Olive Branch, Pearl, Picayune, Pickens, Poplarville, Quitman, Ridgeland, Shubuta, Southaven, Stonewall, Tchula, Tupelo, Waynesboro and Yazoo City. For additional information on BankPlus, please visit BankPlus.net.

About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank System created by Congress in 1932. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $49.5 billion as of March 31, 2016, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community development by providing competitively priced loans and other credit products to approximately 850 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Texas. For more information, visit fhlb.com.

Contact:
Corporate Communications
Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas
www.fhlb.com
(214) 441-8445

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SOURCE Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas

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