BATESVILLE, Miss., Nov. 11, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Panola Habitat for Humanity may be a small operation, but they have a huge mission. The Habitat affiliate received a $24,000 Partnership Grant Program (PGP) award from Guaranty Bank and Trust, First Security Bank, and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) on Tuesday, November 10. The funds will be used to hire additional fundraising staff.
Attending the check presentation, Batesville Mayor Jerry Autrey said, "I'm pleased to see local banks work together to make a difference in the community."
Connie Hawkins, president of the Panola Habitat affiliate, said the grant came at just the right time.
"Our operation is small at the moment, but we have big plans for the upcoming year," she said. "These administrative expenses are necessary to operate Habitat, so we may continue to serve the Panola County community."
Ms. Hawkins, who is also the chief financial officer, cashier, and executive vice president at First Security Bank, has a unique perspective on the need for affordable housing in Panola County. She said that without the PGP funds, the Panola Habitat would have had to merge with an affiliate in another location.
Like Ms. Hawkins, Keith Buck, city president of the Batesville branch of Guaranty Bank and Trust Company, also has a unique view of affordable housing. Serving on the Habitat board since September, Mr. Buck said that the grant will allow Habitat to not only expand its presence in Panola County, but to ultimately help area residents move into "homes they can call their own."
Presented annually, PGP awards provide grants up to $12,000 to community-based organizations (CBOs), like Panola Habitat for Humanity. The funds may be used for research, organizational capacity-building, grant- and funding-application assistance, or contractual services. The structure of the PGP allows FHLB Dallas member institutions, such as Guaranty Bank and Trust and First Security Bank, to make a contribution to a CBO, which FHLB Dallas will match. The member's contribution may range from $500 up to $4,000 and is matched at a 3:1 ratio. In 2015, FHLB Dallas awarded $225,000 in PGP funds to support 25 organizations. For more information, visit fhlb.com.
Greg Hettrick, vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas, supports Habitat's plan for continued growth. "FHLB Dallas is proud to partner with Guaranty Bank and Trust Company and First Security Bank to ensure the continued success of the Panola County affiliate of Habitat for Humanity."
About Guaranty Bank and Trust Company
Since 1943, Guaranty Bank and Trust Company has been serving the Delta as a locally owned and operated institution. Guaranty Bank's mission is to set the standard in its communities for excellence in financial service products, strengthen the communities they serve, and help improve the quality of life in those areas while realizing the greatest benefit for their shareholders, employees and customers. Offering a full range of personal and business services, Guaranty Bank and Trust Company offers various types of checking and savings accounts as well as loans and investment services. Through actions and the involvement in the community, Guaranty Bank and Trust Company strives to be a leader in the economic development of the communities they serve.
About First Security Bank
With assets of more than $475 million, the bank operates 15 locations and serves five counties in North Mississippi. In 2008, First Security Bank was honored to be listed as one of the nation's Top 200 Community Banks by U.S. Banker Magazine. The bank's guiding principle is to provide genuine personal service to each person who walks through its doors. Offering trust and investment services that protect and grow an individual's or family's hard-earned wealth since 1967, First Security Bank continues to perfect ways to provide online and remote customers with high-quality service today.
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 $43.0 billion as of September 30, 2015, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community development by providing competitively priced advances and other credit products to approximately 865 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Texas. Visit fhlb.com for more information.
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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