$500K Grant to Help Adult & Teen Challenge Expand Facility and Services

With the nation’s opioid epidemic as a backdrop, a substance abuse recovery center in the Fort Worth, Texas, area will expand its facility and programming.

Adult & Teen Challenge of Texas will expand its Azle, Texas, campus with the help of a $500,000 Affordable Housing Program (AHP) grant provided by Frost Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas).

The expansion involves the demolition of a steel building and the construction of a new housing complex. The building will provide four resident sleeping rooms with bunks, shared bathroom facilities and a living room. It will expand the number of residents at the Azle campus from 36 to 48 and allow residents to stay for up to two years, up from seven months currently. Adult & Teen Challenge of Texas raised private donations to fund the remaining portion of the $599,333 project.

“Our mission is to help men and women to have an effective and comprehensive solution to life-controlling problems,” said Sarah Baughman, director of development for San Antonio-based Adult & Teen Challenge of Texas, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The organization provides 300 recovery beds and services in six cities: Azle, Brenham, Magnolia, Pasadena, San Antonio and Bastrop.

Due to space constraints, participants in the Azle program are limited to a seven-month stay. As a result, they don’t receive employment re-entry services, Ms. Baughman said.

“Now they will be able to implement that part of the program while also expanding our beds. With the opioid epidemic declared a national health emergency, the need is great. We couldn’t have done it without the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas and Frost Bank. We are one of the largest providers of recovery services in the state, and grants from FHLB Dallas and their member institutions have enabled us to increase our impact,” Ms. Baughman said.

Construction began in March and will take about six months.

The program is life-changing, albeit challenging, says an Adult & Teen Challenge resident.

“I was on the wrong path for my life and I wanted to change from the inside out, especially for my son,” said Caleb M., who is undergoing treatment at the Azle facility. Only his last initial is being used for privacy reasons. “Now that I am at Adult & Teen Challenge, I am learning a lot in class about how to be a better person. In my free time, I enjoy working out, reading, playing piano and playing chess. At times, it is difficult living in a community, but there is a lot of love here.”

Senior Vice President and CRA Officer Donna Normandin of Frost Bank, said the bank’s FHLB Dallas membership contributes to its mission of supporting organizations that are having a positive impact on Texas communities.

“Adult & Teen Challenge of Texas has a long history of helping men, women and teens recover from the ravages of substance abuse,” Ms. Normandin said. “We are pleased to be able to support their Azle expansion that will make their services available to more people who need hope, empowerment and a path to recovery.”

Greg Hettrick, first vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas, said Frost Bank has long been dedicated to building relationships in the communities it serves.

“We commend Frost Bank for their support of housing for people working to break the cycle of addiction through the AHP,” said Mr. Hettrick.

FHLB Dallas annually returns 10 percent of its profits in the form of AHP grants to the communities served by its member institutions such as Frost Bank. AHP grants fund a variety of projects, including home rehabilitation and modifications for low-income, elderly and special-needs residents; down payment and closing cost assistance for qualified first-time homebuyers; and the construction of low-income, multifamily rental communities and single-family homes.

This is one of 19 affordable housing projects to receive $7 million in grants from FHLB Dallas in 2017. The grants will help create 1,108 new or rehabilitated housing units. Since the inception of the AHP in 1990, FHLB Dallas has awarded more than $261 million in AHP and AHP-funded grants to assist more than 48,500 families. FHLB Dallas is making $14.4 million available through our member institutions in support of affordable housing. AHP funds recipients for 2018 will be announced in October.

About Frost Bank

Frost is the banking, investments and insurance subsidiary of Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. (NYSE: CFR), a financial holding company with $31.7 billion in assets at Dec. 30, 2017. One of the 50 largest U.S. banks by asset size, Frost provides a full range of banking, investments and insurance services to businesses and individuals in the Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Permian Basin, Rio Grande Valley and San Antonio regions. Founded in 1868, Frost has helped Texans with their financial needs during three centuries. For more information, visit www.frostbank.com.

About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas

The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank System created by Congress in 1932. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $65.1 billion as of March 31, 2018, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community investment by providing competitively priced loans and other credit products to approximately 825 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. For more information, visit fhlb.com.

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