June 7, 2020
Like many communities in the mid-Atlantic region, the city of Erie and Erie County, Pennsylvania have lost a significant number of jobs in recent years as large manufacturers have downsized or relocated operations. Many residents have suffered. Some are now, and others are at risk of, experiencing homelessness.
For the past two years, long-time Erie-based partners Marquette Bank and St. Martin Center have been growing their capacity to help, leveraging FHLBank Pittsburgh's Home4Good product.
"Our mission at St. Martin Center is to reduce homelessness and improve long-term housing stability by linking clients to needed services and support," says the Center's CEO, David Gonzalez. "As an organization," he adds, "our biggest challenge is obtaining funding."
Ed Drexler, SVP of Residential Lending for Marquette Bank and a St. Martin Center board member, was confident FHLBank’s Home4Good, offered through the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, could help.
St. Martin Center received a $96,600 Home4Good grant in 2018 to fund services to help a number of clients transition to self-sufficiency, including individuals experiencing homelessness and those at imminent risk of homelessness, veterans and ex-offenders. The grant enabled St. Martin Center to hire a dedicated case manager to direct clients to needed services, including financial literacy and tenant education. It also helped the Center address common support requests – rapid re-housing, rental and utility assistance, transportation, clothing, and IDs and/or tools for employment purposes – as well as refer clients to other support agencies in the community. A 2019 Home4Good award of $40,000 enabled St. Martin Center to continue the efforts begun in 2018.
Housing Case Manager Joshua Jaeger notes, "One of the best things about Home4Good funding is its flexibility. Because it doesn't have the restrictions that come with other funding sources, we don’t have to deny service to someone who may be $1 over other programs' established eligibility thresholds."
Home4Good is one example of Marquette Bank and St. Martin Center’s long-standing partnership. St. Martin also provides financial literacy training to Marquette's first-time homebuyers, and the bank's employees volunteer at St. Martin’s food pantry. Employees from both organizations exchange program information with each other at their annual "Lunch and Learn" event. "I will support St. Martin’s use of Home4Good as long as it is available," says Drexler. "The Center’s work promotes stability. Helping people rebound from hard times makes Erie a better place to be. It lifts the entire community."
For the past two years, long-time Erie-based partners Marquette Bank and St. Martin Center have been growing their capacity to help, leveraging FHLBank Pittsburgh's Home4Good product.
"Our mission at St. Martin Center is to reduce homelessness and improve long-term housing stability by linking clients to needed services and support," says the Center's CEO, David Gonzalez. "As an organization," he adds, "our biggest challenge is obtaining funding."
Ed Drexler, SVP of Residential Lending for Marquette Bank and a St. Martin Center board member, was confident FHLBank’s Home4Good, offered through the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, could help.
St. Martin Center received a $96,600 Home4Good grant in 2018 to fund services to help a number of clients transition to self-sufficiency, including individuals experiencing homelessness and those at imminent risk of homelessness, veterans and ex-offenders. The grant enabled St. Martin Center to hire a dedicated case manager to direct clients to needed services, including financial literacy and tenant education. It also helped the Center address common support requests – rapid re-housing, rental and utility assistance, transportation, clothing, and IDs and/or tools for employment purposes – as well as refer clients to other support agencies in the community. A 2019 Home4Good award of $40,000 enabled St. Martin Center to continue the efforts begun in 2018.
Housing Case Manager Joshua Jaeger notes, "One of the best things about Home4Good funding is its flexibility. Because it doesn't have the restrictions that come with other funding sources, we don’t have to deny service to someone who may be $1 over other programs' established eligibility thresholds."
Home4Good is one example of Marquette Bank and St. Martin Center’s long-standing partnership. St. Martin also provides financial literacy training to Marquette's first-time homebuyers, and the bank's employees volunteer at St. Martin’s food pantry. Employees from both organizations exchange program information with each other at their annual "Lunch and Learn" event. "I will support St. Martin’s use of Home4Good as long as it is available," says Drexler. "The Center’s work promotes stability. Helping people rebound from hard times makes Erie a better place to be. It lifts the entire community."