Thomas Howard / The Meridian StarRepresentatives from Lauderdale County Habitat for Humanity, Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas, Citizens National Bank and BankPlus celebrate a $19,140 grant that will go to help fund Habitat for Humanity's affordable housing and home repair programs.

Lauderdale County Habitat for Humanity will have some additional resources to draw on to help residents in need fund home repairs and more as the organization was awarded a $19,140 grant though the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas’ Partnership Grant Program.

Melanie Dill, community and economic development product manager for FHLB Dallas, said she was grateful for the opportunity to help provide people with safe, affordable housing.

“Affordable housing and homeownership is at the center of what we do,” she said.

FHLB Dallas is one of 11 member-owned financial cooperatives created by Congress in 1932 with the goal of helping its members provide needed loans for housing, small businesses, community development and other needs within their communities.

Locally, Dill said, Citizens National Bank and BankPlus were instrumental in bringing the PGP grant dollars to Habitat for Humanity.

“I just want to congratulate their organization for receiving this award,” she said. “It would not be possible without the support of our two member institutions today, which are Citizens National Bank as well as BankPlus.”

Lauderdale County Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Monica Bradley said the grant dollars will go a long way in helping residents across her organization’s five-county service area.

“We are very excited to use this money to help those in our service area,” she said.

Bradley said the goal for the upcoming year is to renovate an existing home or build a new home for a family in need. With the cost of building materials in constant fluctuation, she said the decision to build or renovate was still undecided.

For more information about Habitat for Humanity, visit habitat.org.