TUPELO, Miss., April 18, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Virginia Isby, 62, purchased a 38-year-old house in Tupelo, Mississippi--the only one she could afford on her fixed income from disability. But five years later, the roof was falling apart and the cost of the repairs was more than she could afford. When animals started coming into the house, she knew she needed to get help.
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"My roof was in awful shape. I saw critters coming in through the holes in the roof and was afraid that the rain would be coming in soon but I didn't have the money to fix it," said Ms. Isby. "My back doors didn't shut or lock, I had a cracked window and the post holding up the carport had fallen down. I didn't know what to do, so I called Tupelo city hall to see if they had a program to help me."
Ms. Isby was connected to Lynda Ford, community development specialist for the City of Tupelo. "Virginia is such a sweet person, and she is so grateful for our help with her home. She was a code enforcement candidate, so we really needed to make these repairs to bring the house up to code. We replaced her roof, and put in new soffit and new fascia board. We also installed a new window and a storm door and fixed her door bell. Virginia is now much safer in her home. The city is so thankful to be able to provide these services to their low income residents, which were funded by the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) Special Needs Assistance Program (SNAP) and through Renasant Bank. We wouldn't be able to do these projects without the grant funds," said Ms. Ford.
Ms. Isby qualified for a $5,000 SNAP grant to fund her repairs.
"Miss Lynda takes no credit for helping me, but she really did," Ms. Isby said. "I am so blessed. It makes my heart heavy when I think about how much I was helped by this work on my home."
SNAP grants are available through FHLB Dallas member institutions, such as Renasant Bank, on a first-come, first-served basis to assist income-qualified, special needs homeowners with home repairs and modifications.
"Renasant Bank is thrilled to partner with FHLB Dallas in providing SNAP grants," said Phyllis Drope, senior vice president of Renasant Bank. "There are many residents in our area that are in the same situation as Virginia Isby. They own their homes, but are unable to afford the repairs needed to make them safe. We are so happy we can support our community by providing these funds through the SNAP grant program."
Since SNAP's inception in 2009, more than $7.3 million in grants have been awarded to assist 1,464 families throughout FHLB Dallas' five-state District of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Texas. To learn more about SNAP and other FHLB Dallas programs, visit fhlb.com.
About Renasant Bank
Renasant Bank is a 110-year-old financial institution that has assets of approximately $5.8 billion and operates 130 banking, mortgage, financial services and insurance offices in Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia.
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.
