$4.6 million in grants provide affordable housing, expanded youth programs in Cheyenne
Aug. 25—CHEYENNE — A trauma-informed specialist, two new single-family homes and books for disadvantaged youth are some of the many benefits coming to Cheyenne through the Member Impact Fund grant program.
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines publicly announced the award of $4.6 million in grant funding to nonprofits and government agencies across Wyoming Thursday morning. Three of the local entities receiving money are the Unaccompanied Student Initiative, Boys and Girls Club of Cheyenne and Habitat for Humanity of Laramie County.
U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., was joined by bank and nonprofit officials in announcing the grants at the Boys and Girls Club.
"It's a great honor to be with you today, and celebrate nonprofits and local banks and their invaluable contributions to our communities," Lummis said.
The Member Impact Fund program is part of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, one of 11 regional banks which make up the Federal Home Loan Bank System. The FHLB System, formed through the Federal Home Loan Bank Act in 1932, focuses on "housing finance and community development."
Wyoming, one of the 13 states covered under FHLB Des Moines, received $4.6 million in grant funding, which is matched nearly $3-to-$1 in member donations. These members consist of local banks, credit unions, insurance companies, thrifts and community development financial institutions, according to Kris Williams, president and CEO of FHLB Des Moines.
"The dollars from the grants are being invested in the great state of Wyoming," Williams said Thursday. "Our members capitalize us, they do business with us, and that money we turn around and invest back."
Western Vista Federal Credit Union, one of the local FHLB Des Moines members, donated nearly $19,000 to Magic City Enterprises, Habitat for Humanity of Laramie County and the Laramie County Library. The first two nonprofits are putting the money toward operation funding and job training, said Mick Finnegan, the commercial lender at Western Vista, and the third will put the donated money toward its First Steps program.
First Steps is a free literacy program at the Laramie County Library for youth ages 3 to 5, where families are provided books to build their home library.
"It's a wonderful thing. It's been shown that families that have books and read are the most successful later on in life," Finnegan said.
Habitat for Humanity, which received over $68,500 in grant funding from several FHLB Des Moines members, will also put the funds toward construction of two new single-family homes on Wills Road and expand its Fresh Start program, according to Dan Dorsch, executive director of Habitat Humanity for Laramie County. The Fresh Start program, in partnership with several nonprofits, provides vouchers to those transitioning out of homelessness to purchase free home furnishings at the Habitat ReStore.
Cheyenne youth at the Boys and Girls Club will soon be offered expanded extracurricular activities and mental health care access. The local nonprofit aims to bring back after-school sports in the fall, as well as a trauma-informed specialist, said Justin Pendleton, CEO of Boys and Girls Club of Cheyenne.
"We're seeing kids carrying a lot of emotional issues that we want to try to curb," Pendleton said. "With this funding, we're able to provide a trauma-informed specialist that can come in and really guide that trauma-informed culture within our clubs."
Unaccompanied Students Initiative, a local nonprofit that provides housing and other resources for unhoused high school students, received nearly $57,500 in donated funds from FHLB Des Moines members. Jessica Sayers, the organization's executive director, said these donations made the program's funds "sustainable to implement a third program."
A third facility for homeless youth was recently added in Laramie County, Sayers said, which created more staffing jobs to serve in the expanded program.
"I believe in our program," Sayers said. "Not only are we helping the youth, but we're helping our future."
Hannah Shields in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's new state government reporter. She can be reached at 307-633-3128 or hshields@wyomingnews.com. You can follow her on X @happyfeet004.
