With an assist from First Resource Bank, Home of the Sparrow was recently granted $15,000 from the FHLBank Pittsburgh as part of its Home4Good Program.

Home4Good aims to help those who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless by channeling funds to local service organizations with the expertise to help. The grant awarded to Home of the Sparrow will be used specifically to help women enrolled in the Women’s Re-Entry Assessment Program of the Chester County Adult Probation, Parole, and Pretrial Services Department.

Since stable housing is key to reducing recidivism rates for justice-involved individuals who are reintegrating into the community, the program coordinators at Home of the Sparrow work closely with clients to understand their circumstances and ensure they have the resources to meet their needs.

In addition to providing rental subsidies to women in the program as they secure employment and work to achieve self-sufficiency, Home of the Sparrow will help these individuals to regain their dignity and create a path to a more stable future.

“With an increase in housing instability for women in Chester County, the homelessness prevention programs that we offer are vital to the success of struggling individuals in our community,” said Michelle Venema, CEO of Home of the Sparrow. “We’re incredibly grateful to our friends at First Resource Bank for helping us to secure funding through the Home4Good Program and helping us make a meaningful impact in our community.”

For more than 25 years, Home of the Sparrow has been focused on preventing women and children in Chester County from experiencing the trauma of homelessness. Last year, the nonprofit served 1,087 clients (515 women and 572 children), the greatest number ever in a single year.

Housing insecurity is the result of many different factors, including inter-generational poverty, lack of affordable housing, trauma, not enough education/training, health challenges, discrimination, and unexpected emergencies such as the loss of a partner or sudden unemployment. Home of the Sparrow provides women with resources, support, and a safety net to navigate these complex challenges and to build better lives for themselves and their children.

“Helping organizations like Home of the Sparrow achieve their mission is what community banking is all about,” said Glenn Marshall, the CEO of First Resource Bank. “Connecting the dots between a goal and financing a goal is what we do best. When the end result makes our community stronger, everyone wins.”

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