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 2023. The Foundation awarded grants to 11 nonprofits from across the country totaling $75,500.
Strongsville, Ohio – April 18, 2023 – 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 2023. The Foundation awarded grants to eleven nonprofits from across the country totaling $75,500.
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.
“Union Home Mortgage believes everyone has a right to a promising economic future, which is why we partner with dynamic organizations that directly impact the lives of those in our communities,” said Bill Cosgrove, President & CEO of Union Home Mortgage and Chairman of the Foundation. “We’re proud to partner with these organizations in support of our mission to improve financial literacy and make the dream of homeownership accessible for all.”
“We couldn’t be more honored to support these 11 wonderful nonprofit organizations,” said Ashley Ali, Director of Corporate Communications. “These organizations are making a true impact in the lives they serve and the communities that rely so heavily on them.”
Since its inception in 2015, the Foundation has distributed more than $1 million in financial support to nonprofits in 14 states. For more information on the Union Home Mortgage Foundation, visit www.uhmfoundation.org, call 440.863.3217 or email aali@uhm.com.
The first quarter grant recipients are:
Akron, Ohio
- Habitat for Humanity of Summit County Inc. - $15,000 in support of the New Home Construction Program and the Neighborhood Reborn Project, both of which support the organization’s Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative. The New Home Construction program provides decent, affordable homeownership for low to moderate-income families in Summit County. To date, Habitat for Humanity of Summit County has constructed 223 new home builds, completed over 180 home repair projects, and assisted in numerous home rehabilitation projects for Summit County families.
Atlanta, Georgia
- 24 7 Gateway - $2,500 to support their Gateway Center Residential Services which addresses the underlying reasons for homelessness such as unemployment, substance abuse, housing affordability, and medical conditions. The supportive services offered include intensive case management, care coordination, behavioral health and substance abuse services, workforce development trainings, financial literacy workshops and more. The goal is to provide holistic, wraparound services that allow individuals and families to move into a home they will maintain, which will assist them in ending their current state of homelessness and in breaking the cycle of poverty.
Cleveland, Ohio
- Minds Matter - $5,000 in support of the College Readiness Program which provides support to high-potential high school students from low-income families to gain admission and achieve academic excellence in leading 4-year colleges and universities. The students commit to a 3-year program commencing in their sophomore year of high school and ending with acceptance to a four-year college. The students attend academic programs facilitated by volunteer instructors and tutors, focusing on College Writing & Critical Thinking and ACT Test preparation. The students typically increase their ACT scores by 42 percentile rank points on average. During mentoring time, sophomores and juniors focus on developing relevant college readiness skills, including interview and communication skills, financial literacy, and career goal setting.
- Seeds of Literacy - $5,000 to support the organization’s adult educational program that transitions students into the workforce, training programs, college, and full-time careers. Through their Connections Project, Seeds has developed partnerships with workforce development agencies and created internal processes for connecting students to postsecondary education and training. Seeds is also partnering with local colleges to integrate health literacy concepts into the curriculum, so each student has a plan that aligns with their unique needs. Since July 1st, there have been 86 GED graduates, already surpassing the entire previous fiscal year. 166 students have passed at least one section of the GED exam, representing 393 total sections passed.
- Smart Development - $5,000 in support of their Community First Program that encompasses education, workforce connection, social services, and civic engagement with comprehensive case management to coincide the growing demand of services being requested and ensure quality outcomes toward sustainability for everyone. To best meet each client’s needs, a wide variety of services are available including home buyer education and counseling, free minor home repairs for low-income refugees and seniors, halal and kosher food boxes, case management offered in a multitude of languages, employment services, and more. In 2021, 4,857 individuals were served, many from refugee, immigrant, and ethnic minority communities.
Columbus, Ohio
- JA Central Ohio - $5,000 towards the JA Inspire career pathway program for 9th-12th grade students. This program exposes students to central Ohio’s jobs, career opportunities, and education pathways while planning their high school coursework. Either in the classroom or through a self-paced guidebook, students will learn about careers in various industries and uncover where they might excel in the working world. After completing their coursework, including watching a series of videos, completing various activities, and practicing self-reflection, students will attend an in-person career fair. This event will facilitate a relationship-based pipeline between students and companies that will introduce students to career opportunities in central Ohio.
- Volunteers of America - $20,000 to support improvements on three group homes, one which provides shelter for men in recovery from substance use disorder and the second two which provide shelter for men and women living with mental health disorders. These three homes need improvements that can enhance the lives of the residents in two ways. First, having a functional updated environment shows care for well-being and dignity. Second, having a space they can be proud of and share time together creates an environment of safety and encourages them to thrive.
Exton, Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania Home of the Sparrow - $7,500 to provide direct financial support to help women and mothers in Chester County achieve housing stability. Through a combination of financial assistance and case management, Home of the Sparrow creates a solution for each woman’s unique housing crisis, so she has the resources to achieve long term stability and economic self-sufficiency. The core programs provided to the women in need are 2 years of affordable housing in one of the homes, shared housing through rental assistance, and supportive services for women re-entering society. Since 1994, over 8,000 women have been assisted, allowing them to avoid homelessness and progress towards economic self-sufficiency.
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
- Tenfold - $2,500 to support the Anne Barshinger Financial Empowerment Center, which provides services that covers all aspects of the housing advocacy and financial empowerment continuum. Some of these services include financial education, home buyer and post-purchase classes, matched savings development program, one-on-one household budget counseling, credit review, debt management, home buyer preparation, and foreclosure prevention. This year, the Financial Empowerment Center will work with 3,900 individuals to assess their finances, develop a household budget, and create a plan to address both their challenges and goals.
Orlando, Florida
- The Mustard Seed of Central Florida Inc - $2,500 to support the Furnishing Basic Stability for Families Program which rebuilds the lives of families who have suffered disaster or personal tragedy by providing basic household necessities. Clients are first qualified for services through a home visit with a case manager, who identifies the household needs. Once a referral is completed, the family sets an appointment, brings a truck to the facility, and selects all the needed pieces of furniture for the home. These funds will ensure that 35 families have all the basic household necessities needed to make their house a home.
Valparaiso, Indiana
- Housing Opportunities Inc - $5,000 to support their ongoing housing programs which aim to resolve and prevent homelessness. The services provided consist of affordable rentals, case management, rental assistance, rapid rehousing, emergency housing, and street outreach. The need for these services is growing, evidenced by the 200 persons on the waiting list for a housing unit. In 2022, Housing Opportunities served 1,360 people and aims to continue growing this number each year. The affordable housing provided satisfies the immediate need for shelter and the supportive services offered provides hope for a more sustainable future.
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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 over $13 billion in responsible lending per year. To learn more about Union Home Mortgage and its efforts in the community, please visit https://www.uhm.com/.