As much as we enjoy assisting new borrowers through our various loan programs, it is always a pleasure to re-team with groups that we have successfully worked with in the past for a second project.

This is certainly the case with Lansing-based Giving Tree Farm, Inc. a Christian service non-profit organization that was established by families of the disabled and several community leaders in 1991. The Giving Tree Farm is a certified organic grower of garden produce and herbs. Under the direction of a farm manager, the people with disabilities are trained and employed in the planting, cultivation and harvesting of garden produce, which is then donated to area charities.

The Trust Fund first made a loan to Giving Tree Farm in 2002 for a project that has been very successful. “The group home that we built five years ago because of [the Trust Fund’s] faith in underwriting it is at a point now where it is fully functional,” said Project Manager Bob Bower. “We’re in a good position to refinance it, and are off and flying.”

This spring the Trust Fund will close its second loan with Giving Tree on a project that will benefit 14 individuals with mild developmental disabilities, earning 30% of the area median income or less.

“Everyone deserves access to affordable housing and a productive life,” said Wendy Landes Hatem, Director of Lending for the Trust Fund. “That’s why we’re proud to support groups like Giving Tree, and look forward to partnering with them on future projects.”

The Trust Fund’s upcoming loan will include $319,625 in funding for supportive rental housing construction. Individuals will be referred to Giving Tree from Community Mental Health, insurance providers and other existing programs.

According to Bower, working with the Trust Fund provided Giving Tree with resources that the organization would not have been able to afford through a conventional bank.

“People there are pragmatic without losing purpose,” said Bower. “My opinion over the past five years has been that the Trust Fund, especially dealing with non-profits, always kept in mind our purpose and mission, as far as serving people with disabilities.”

“It’s important to remember that we’re a non-profit too,” said Hatem. “That makes us unique as a lender, since we have a better understanding of the challenges these groups face on a daily basis, and hopefully that perspective translates into better service for our borrowers.”