Union Home Mortgage Foundation Announces First Quarter Grant Recipients

Awardees include 13 nonprofits in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, and Oklahoma

STRONGSVILLE, Ohio, April 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Union Home Mortgage Foundation, the charitable arm of Union Home Mortgage whose mission is to equip families with the tools and resources needed to achieve economic self-sufficiency, has announced its grant recipients for the first quarter of 2024. The Foundation awarded grants to 13 nonprofits from across the country totaling $52,000. 

In this round of funding, the Foundation provided support to organizations within its operational footprint that are making a tangible impact in their communities through the advancement of financial literacy and housing access.

"At Union Home Mortgage, we deeply value the positive impact that nonprofit organizations have on our communities, and we know it's critical to support their work in creating a culture of equity and support for those they serve," said Bill Cosgrove, CEO of Union Home Mortgage. "We believe in creating access to a bright economic future, and that's why we partner with so many incredible organizations across the country. This quarter, we are supporting several new organizations as well, and we're excited to work with them in achieving their goals."

"Our mission to create economic self-sufficiency for as many families as possible is reflected in the organizations we collaborate with, and that's no different as we start 2024," said Ashley Ali, Director of Corporate Communications. "These organizations are pivotal forces in their communities, and we're proud to support those efforts."

Since its inception in 2015, the Foundation has distributed more than $1 million in financial support to nonprofits in over 15 states. For more information on the Union Home Mortgage Foundation, visit www.uhmfoundation.org, or email [email protected].

The first quarter grant recipients are:

Orlando, Florida

Mustard Seed of Central FL: $2,500 to cover services for 32 families to have all basic household necessities to make their house a home. Families qualify for these services through a home visit with a case manager. Once a referral is complete, the family sets an appointment, brings a truck to the facility, and selects all needed pieces of furniture for their home.

Atlanta, Georgia

Gateway Center 24/7 Inc.: $2,500 in support of connecting individuals and families experiencing homelessness with comprehensive supportive services and community resources. Gateway Center empowers guests to overcome adversity, eliminate barriers, achieve self-sufficiency, and transition to a home of their own. Gateway Center will provide holistic supportive services to assist individuals experiencing homelessness, serve individuals participating in short-term residential shelter programs, assist individuals in obtaining income and developing financial literacy skills, provide healthcare services and improve individuals' mental health, and secure positive housing placements for some participants.

Roswell, Georgia

Drake House Inc.: $2,000 in support of Drake House's mission to empower women and their children experiencing homelessness to achieve economic independence and long-term stability. This funding will go toward Drake House's transitional housing and emergency housing units. By offering a comprehensive range of services and support, Drake House enables families to remain in their community, preserve intact family units, improve employment, develop financial stability, and ultimately, transition families to stable housing.

Arlington Heights, Illinois

Shelter, Inc.: $2,500 in support of Shelter's Emergency Group Homes, Jennings Group Home for Girls and Buckholz Group Home for Boys. These emergency housing facilities provide safe shelter, basic needs like clothing, personalized hygiene supplies, free healthcare screenings, counseling services, and tools to foster healing, empowerment, and the development of coping skills to overcome trauma. These homes are for youth ages 11-17 who are without shelter due to having run away, having been locked out, or having experiences with abuse, neglect, sexual exploitation, or other family crises such as homelessness, illness, or domestic violence.

Libertyville, IL

Lake County Haven: $2,500 in support of Lake County Haven's life-saving transitional shelter, housing, and supportive services to women and children who are homeless and in crisis. Lake County Haven offers two shelter locations as well as single family homes divided into seven housing units. Women, children and families in crises are offered one-on-one case management, counseling, and psychoeducational groups that helps them identify and learn to manage the root causes of their homelessness.

Valparaiso, Indiana

Housing Opportunities Inc.: $5,000 toward operation of the Resource Center, which serves individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness and is open 6 days per week year-round. The Resource Center provides a safe place during the day where clients can take care of basic needs (showering, laundering, cooking, or resting). Computers and Wi-Fi are also available to the clients. Each person or family that enters the resource center is assigned to a Housing Advocate, that works with them to identify, develop, and achieve goals related to solving their housing crisis. This funding will also help Housing Opportunities Inc. in tracking exits from the Resource Center.

Detroit, Michigan

Detroit Land Bank: $2,500 toward helping property owners complete compliance requirements for their homes. The Detroit Land Bank monitors and supports property owners as they complete rehab requirements of the purchase agreements of their homes. When property owners cannot meet these requirements, they are at risk of their property being reconveyed to the Detroit Land Bank. This funding will enable the Detroit Land Bank to help property owners complete these requirements, directly impacting the community they reside in as well.

St. Louis, Missouri

LOVEtheLOU: $2,500 to support the Hope House, which is dedicated to assisting youth and young adults who are experiencing homelessness, displacement, temporary housing instability, and housing transition in the journey to becoming self-sufficient. Hope House will provide housing and services to youth/young adults who are 18-25 years old. They will also provide wraparound services such as life and soft development skills, basic budgeting and financial literacy, job preparedness, career development, job training and employment assistance. LOVEtheLOU's desire is to teach youth to be self-sufficient young adults who are able to approach life's challenges with a renewed mindset that they can conquer anything.

Kansas City, Missouri

Hillcrest Ministries of Mid-America Inc.: $2,500 toward the care of homeless children, youth, and families in Greater Kansas City (Missouri and Kansas) through financial literacy, education, housing, and case management services provided to homeless households. Metro-wide, Hillcrest serves an estimated 1,000 individuals annually. Unlike many organizations whose focus is one-time or emergency care, Hillcrest focuses on moving residents from homelessness to self-sufficiency by addressing total life situations within a 90-day time frame or up to 24 months for homeless teens and young adults, ages 16 to 24.

Akron, Ohio

Habitat for Humanity of Summit County: $15,000 in support of Habitat for Humanity of Summit County's affordable housing programming. Specifically, grant funds will support the implementation of the affiliate's New Home Construction and Preserve a Home programs during the 2024-25 fiscal year.

Cleveland, Ohio

Minds Matter: $5,000 in support of Minds Matter's Senior College Readiness programming, which aims to ensure seniors enter college with the information and resources needed to gain independence, succeed in both college and career, and gain a stable economic future. In the second semester of their senior year, Minds Matter provides college readiness programming to students, with core components of the program being healthy relationships, career readiness and financial literacy.

Smart Development Inc.: $5,000 in support of the Community First Program, which encompasses education, workforce connection, social services such as basic needs and food, and civic engagement with comprehensive case management. Their services include homebuyer education and counseling, community revitalization, free minor-home repairs to low-income refugee and seniors, free culturally relevant halal and kosher food boxes to combat food insecurity, and case management with added language assistance in Arabic, Somali, Farsi and Sudanese, aiding clients in increasing their economic and social mobility through financial education, job placement and workforce readiness.

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Eden Village of Tulsa: $2,500 toward the construction of housing for chronically homeless people in the Tulsa metro area. Eden Village of Tulsa will transform the lives of dozens of formerly homeless individuals in the Tulsa area who would otherwise be unable to find security or healing, be productive in community, or find purpose and dignity. Eden Village of Tulsa Phase I will be composed of 63 single-bedroom tiny homes which are fixed units, as well as a community center, a small farm, a barn, greenhouses, a woodshop, and green space. This model is based on Eden Village of Springfield, MO, leading to twelve cities around the U.S. (including Tulsa, Okla.) developing their own versions of this community-based model. All 63 tiny homes are projected to be constructed and vacancies filled by January 1, 2025.

About the Union Home Mortgage Foundation
The Union Home Mortgage Foundation was established in 2015 as the charitable arm of independent mortgage banking company Union Home Mortgage Corp (UHM). The Foundation's mission is to equip individuals and families with the tools and resources to achieve economic self-sufficiency, specifically through financial literacy, and housing. The Foundation has awarded over $1 million since its inception toward these programs to help guide families on a pathway towards responsible homeownership. Union Home Mortgage Corp. is a high-growth, full-service retail, wholesale, and consumer direct lender with over 150 branches across the U.S. and an annual lending volume over $5 billion per year. To learn more about Union Home Mortgage and its efforts in the community, please visit www.uhm.com and www.uhmfoundation.org.

SOURCE Union Home Mortgage