SHERMAN, TX – December 7, 2010 – (RealEstateRama) — Representatives of American Bank of Texas and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) presented a $14,000 Partnership Grant Program (PGP) award to Four Rivers Outreach on Friday, December 3, 2010. The grant will assist with operational costs associated with the Four Rivers Outreach men’s transitional living center. The staff and Board of Directors of Four Rivers Outreach were accompanied by Bill Magers, Mayor of the City of Sherman, and Robin McCoy, regional coordinator for State Senator Craig Estes.
Four Rivers Outreach was founded in 2006 and is one of the largest faith-based, nonprofit organizations in Grayson County, Texas. It provides both residential and non-residential supportive services for men and women suffering from life-controlling problems such as alcohol abuse, drug addiction, and homelessness. The PGP grant will assist with costs associated with meals, supportive services, and administrative expenses for the men’s transitional living center, which opened in the fall of 2009.
“I am thrilled to learn that Four Rivers Outreach is receiving a Partnership Grant award from American Bank of Texas and FHLB Dallas in the amount of $14,000,” said State Senator Craig Estes. “Four Rivers Outreach uses its resources to help those in the Grayson County area who deal with chronic problems like alcoholism, drug abuse, and homelessness. This grant will help assist them in their continued mission to aid those facing these struggles in the local Grayson community.”
The men’s transitional living center provides three meals daily, sleeping quarters, and access to physical, mental, and spiritual supportive services, financial literacy, General Education Diploma (GED) courses, job training, and drug and alcohol rehabilitation. The average resident lives at the center for approximately six to eight months, but Four Rivers Outreach permits residents to stay up to one year, and welcomes returning residents who have not been able to overcome their problems.
Arthur Horn, director and co-founder of Four Rivers Outreach, said the organization works closely with the Recovery Resource Council in Fort Worth to offer a 30-day treatment program for new residents. Representatives from the Council visit the Four Rivers Outreach headquarters twice a week to provide on-site services for residents. All services and accommodations are available free to residents and those who seek assistance at Four Rivers Outreach. Grants such as the PGP and donations from the public and private sectors help Four Rivers Outreach continue its mission and serve those in its community.
“Our mission is to provide a welcoming and nonjudgmental environment for men and women to heal and overcome their problems in order to start a new life,” said Mr. Horn. “Financial support from the community and public and private donors enables us to be here every day for those who need us most. Without the support of organizations like American Bank of Texas and FHLB Dallas, we would not be here, and the people who seek our services would have nowhere to turn.”
Four Rivers Outreach has been a long-time customer of American Bank of Texas, and the bank mentioned to Mr. Horn that Four Rivers Outreach might qualify as a PGP candidate.
“American Bank of Texas began facilitating the FDIC’s Money Smart curriculum in 2010 as part of the Four Rivers Outreach job training program. More than a dozen bankers donated their time to the outreach program, and taught on a variety of financial-related subjects in three different sessions,” said Ginger Nye, director of marketing for American Bank of Texas. “By working one-on-one with Four River Outreach clients, it allowed bank employees to see first-hand what Four Rivers Outreach is able to accomplish, and created a desire for American Bank of Texas to give financially to Four Rivers Outreach. We decided to maximize our contribution by leveraging our financial investment through the FHLB Dallas Partnership Grant Program in order to create a more sustainable impact.”
Partnership grants are offered through FHLB Dallas’s member institutions, such as American Bank of Texas, and awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. The grants provide funding for operational needs of community-based organizations involved in affordable housing and community development. FHLB Dallas matches a member’s cash contributions to a community-based organization of $500 up to $5,000 at a 3:1 ratio. Through its member institutions, FHLB Dallas awarded $225,000 in partnership grants in 2010.
American Bank of Texas
American Bank of Texas is a locally-owned, independent bank with over a billion dollars in assets. In its 16 branches it employs over 300 people in 11 North Texas cities. For more information on American Bank of Texas, visit the ABT website at ABTexas.com.
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 $51.6 billion as of September 30, 2010, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community development by providing competitively priced loans 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 web site at fhlb.com.
Contact:
Corporate Communications
Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas
www.fhlb.com
(214) 441-8445
