Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines Awards $45,000 to Community Improvement Projects
last updated on Wednesday, October 14, 2020 in Community News
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines (FHLB Des Moines) is proud to announce the winners of the 2020 Strong Communities Award:
Urban: Running Start for Careers (Spokane, Washington)
- Community Colleges of Spokane, in collaboration with FHLB Des Moines member BECU and other local organizations, launched Running Start for Careers, which offers local high school students the chance to complete their college-level vocational training while still in high school. This way, students get the chance to train as an expert in a highly sought-after field and enter the workforce that much sooner.
Rural: Market on Market (Gowrie, Iowa)
- A community-wide effort, led by the Gowrie Development Commission and supported by FHLB Des Moines members Heartland Bank and Security Savings Bank, helped save the local grocery store and keep this regional cornerstone alive.
This annual award honors the projects, people and programs that promote local small business growth and retention. Winners were determined through a public voting process which ran from October 5 through October 9, 2020.
“We recognize the outstanding impact these projects have had in their communities and are excited to award them each $15,000 so they can continue their excellent work,” said Kris Williams, president and chief executive officer, FHLB Des Moines. “We also want to acknowledge all the award finalists this year, as each of them reflected the commitment of FHLB Des Moines to finding ways to improve their member communities.”
Along with the $15,000 award for the winning Urban and Rural projects, each finalist received $3,000.
FHLB Des Moines is committed to strengthening communities throughout its district, consisting of 13-states and three U.S. Pacific Territories. The Bank works together with their nearly 1,350 member financial institutions to support affordable housing, economic development and community improvement. The Strong Communities Award is just one example of their dedication to this mission.
To see the full list of award winners and learn more about their projects, visit www.fhlbdm.com/award.
- Strong Communities Award