Women's Shelter and Support Center receives $155,000 in support of its new emergency shelter facility
Jun. 13—ROCHESTER — The Women's Shelter and Support Center received a $155,000 grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank Member Impact Fund in support of the center's new emergency shelter facility.
The grant will help expand staffing and programming to support survivors of domestic violence across 10 counties in southeastern Minnesota.
"This investment not only strengthens our capacity to serve more survivors but reinforces our mission to provide safe shelter and supportive services for survivors and their children," Artyce Thomas, executive director of the center, said in a statement. "We are incredibly grateful to have financial partners who recognize that access to safe housing is not a privilege — it's a foundation for healing and long-term stability."
WSSC supports nearly 3,000 individuals through shelter and advocacy services each year. The new shelter, currently under construction, will more than double the organization's housing capacity to provide a safe haven for up to 75 individuals at a time, the statement said. In 2026, WSSC will mark 50 years of service.
"We are proud to partner with our member financial institutions and local nonprofits to invest in the well-being of Minnesotans," Kris Williams, president and CEO of Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, Iowa, said in the statement. "Everyone deserves access to safe, stable housing, and this project reflects that shared commitment."
The Member Impact Fund is a matching grant program from FHLB Des Moines that leverages the strength of member financial institutions to invest in community-based initiatives across the bank's district, according to the statement.
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