The Safe House for Women wanted to provide transitional housing for women but needed money to purchase property.
The Federal Home Loan Bank based in Iowa has money available through competitive grants for low-income housing throughout the Midwest. It was looking for projects.
A year ago, neither agency knew of the other. They were brought together thanks to a variety of circumstances and First National Bank headquartered in Sikeston with branches in Cape Girardeau and Sikeston.
On Friday the Safe House for Women got a $217,500 check to purchase an eight-unit apartment complex in Cape Girardeau. The two-bedroom apartments will serve as transitional houses for women who are leaving the shelter to start new, independent lives.
The Cape Girardeau grant is the largest ever awarded by the Federal Home Loan bank.
At an announcement of the grant, Phil Ivers, Cape Girardeau president of First National Bank, explained how teamwork made the project possible.
The bank received an application for grants from the Federal Home Loan Bank, a co-op for banks and financial institutions. Each year, the Federal Home Loan Bank awards several million dollars in competitive grants for low-income housing projects.
First National Bank officials decided to look for a project in Southeast Missouri that might benefit from the grant. A quick phone call to Sen. Peter Kinder got the ball rolling. He suggested the Safe House.
The Safe House board and staff worked with the bank to complete the 40-page application. The board also rounded up more help from local unions, the Cape Girardeau Police Department and other agencies.
The Cape Girardeau grant was in competition with 118 other grants seeking a total of $19 million.
Curt Heidt, vice president of the Federal Home Loan Bank, said, "I was fascinated by the level of partnership in this project."
Also unusual in the Cape Girardeau project was leadership by the bank. "Usually some agency finds out about the money and comes to the bank," Heidt said. "In this case the bank said, What is the best thing we can do in this community?"
The $217,500 grant finances the entire project. Volunteer labor, especially local labor unions, is doing some renovations. This weekend about 70 volunteers from Southeast Missouri State University will be cleaning the apartments.
Bonnie Gereke, a board member for the Safe House, explained the need for transitional housing.
Currently, when women leave the shelter, it is difficult for many of them to find adequate housing because many of the women come to the shelter with little or no income. The costs of apartments in the Cape Girardeau area can be prohibitive for many of the women.
By providing the transitional housing, the shelter hopes to decrease the chances the women will go back to an abusive situation.
Currently, the shelter can house 15 to 20 women and children. It is not unusual for the Safe House to be full, requiring the shelter to house women and their children in a motel or in another shelter.
The addition of transitional housing will also make more room available in the shelter for other women and children needing the service.
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