The Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines Awards $45,000 to Community Improvement Projects

last updated on Tuesday, October 12, 2021 in Community News

The Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines (FHLB Des Moines) is proud to announce the winners of the 2021 Strong Communities Award:

Rural Category

  • Bank of Salem partnered with community leaders to launch the Salem R-80 Construction Trades Program that addresses community needs in Salem, Missouri, while providing students with a career track that wasn’t tied to a four-year degree. 

Urban Category

  • American Savings Bank partnered with Kupu to launch Kupu Aina Corps, a workforce development program that addresses the drastic effects of COVID-19 on Hawaii’s local economy.

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 4 through October 8, 2021.

“We recognize the outstanding contributions of Bank of Salem and their community partners in Salem, Missouri and American Savings Bank and Kupu in Hawaii, 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 are pleased by the dedication our members and all the sponsor organizations have to improving their communities.”

Along with the $15,000 award for the winning Urban and Rural project categories, five other finalists each received $3,000 to support economic development in their communities.

FHLB Des Moines is committed to strengthening communities in its district, which consists of 13 state and three U.S. Pacific territories. The Bank works together with its member institutions to support economic development, mortgage lending and affordable housing.

To see the full list of award winners and learn more about their projects, visit www.fhlbdm.com/award.

  1. Strong Communities Award