ABERDEEN, Miss., April 11, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mary Ann Randle has been a full-time caregiver for her husband, Henry, for more than 20 years, a role brought on after Mr. Randle suffered two strokes.
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With her 70-year-old husband in a wheelchair, a ramp to the front porch was essential, but a concrete one built a number of years ago had deteriorated and a narrow entryway into the house made it a challenge to navigate.
Mrs. Randle, 65, said a friend told her about the Special Needs Assistance Program (SNAP), and she decided to apply to see if she qualified for help in getting a new ramp installed.
She did. Mrs. Randle received a $5,000 SNAP grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) and Community Bank North Mississippi that paid for the demolition of the old ramp and construction of a new wooden ramp. The funds were also used to level off and repair a sloping front porch floor and to widen the front door to make entry and exit with the wheelchair easier.
"I can't thank this program enough. This grant helped so much," Mrs. Randle said.
Ann Tackett, a community volunteer and executive director of Tenn Tom Moving Youth, Inc., has assisted several Aberdeen residents in receiving SNAP grants.
SNAP is a program that was established in 2009 by FHLB Dallas to assist special-needs homeowners with home repairs or modifications. The program is offered through FHLB Dallas member institutions, such as Community Bank North Mississippi, on a first-come, first-served basis.
"So many of our elderly people are disabled and use the bulk of their fixed income for necessities like medicine and groceries," said Ms. Tackett. "Rarely is there enough money left over to make expensive home repairs. SNAP really is a godsend to so many of them."
In 2013, FHLB Dallas provided $60,000 in SNAP grants through Community Bank North Mississippi to assist 10 homeowners.
Since its inception, more than $7.3 million in SNAP grants have been awarded through FHLB Dallas members to assist 1,464 eligible homeowners. FHLB Dallas has made another $1 million in SNAP funding available in 2014, and an additional offering will be announced in July.
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 $30.2 billion as of December 31, 2013, 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.