For the Shirks’ first nine years living in Chicago, they squeezed their six family members into a 2-bedroom apartment. The Shirks believed homeownership was out of their reach. But thanks to a partnership between community development organization Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago and First Eagle Bank, their dreams of homeownership came true. First Eagle Bank is a participant in Neighborhood Housing Service’s Community Banks Initiative, which connects capital and financial support from community banks to Neighborhood Housing Services’ community development projects. Through this partnership, First Eagle Bank and Neighborhood Housing Service worked with the Shirks to secure a grant for first-time homebuyers from the Federal Home Loan Bank. This grant, combined with a purchase loan made through Neighborhood Housing Service’s lending arm, gave the Shirks the financial resources they needed to afford a home. The house they chose to buy was a vacant, single-family home on Chicago's West Side, featuring a beautiful view of the Garfield Conservatory and Garfield Park. Since moving into their new house, the Shirks have been proactive in improving their neighborhood. They have led their neighbors and worked with a number of community organizations to transform the vacant lot on the corner of their block, long overgrown with weeds and filled with trash, into a vibrant community garden. Read more about how First Eagle Bank and Neighborhood Housings Services of Chicago helped the Shirks HERE >>