GARDEN GROVE, Calif. and SAN FRANCISCO, December 19, 2024 – Thomas House Family Shelter will receive a $50,000 grant to continue providing life skills, tools, and resources for empowering economic self-sufficiency, awarded by the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (FHLBank San Francisco) AHEAD Program in partnership with Wescom Credit Union.

Thomas House Family Shelter collaborated with Wescom to receive the grant from FHLBank San Francisco through a competitive application process. The AHEAD Program enables FHLBank San Francisco members like Wescom to give a critical boost to local programs and projects that target pressing community needs and bring greater opportunity to underserved populations.

For 38 years, Thomas House has been deeply rooted in the Orange County, Calif. community, working to address the issue and root causes of unhoused families. The organization has been a beacon of hope for thousands of families, helping them overcome situational homelessness and generational poverty by providing a safe place to reside, supportive services, and resources to assist in the transition to permanent housing.

“We are deeply honored to receive this generous AHEAD grant, made possible by the sponsorship of Wescom Credit Union and awarded by FHLBank San Francisco,” says Shakoya Green Long, Chief Executive Officer of Thomas House Family Shelter. “This funding is a testament to the trust and belief in the vital work we do at Thomas House Family Shelter. It will significantly enhance our ability to provide critical services to families in need, helping them achieve stability and brighter futures. Partnerships like these allow us to continue transforming lives and building stronger communities, and we are incredibly grateful for this support.”

Wescom partnered with Thomas House Family Shelter to apply for the grant that was awarded in the amount of $50,000 to fund Thomas House Family Shelter’s work to change the trajectory of each family served, meet their basic needs, and provide them a safe place to reside while actively working towards economic empowerment and addressing the root cause of what led them to become unhoused. The grant was as part of a competitive application with over 300 applications submitted.

“Wescom is thankful for our longtime partnerships with Thomas House Family Shelter and FHLBank San Francisco. These partnerships support our purpose of helping build better lives in the communities we serve,” said Jessie Mosqueda, Director of the Wescom Foundation. “This grant will help create a more equitable future for underserved families and children experiencing homelessness through career development and housing navigation.”

AHEAD grants enable FHLBank San Francisco members like Wescom to give a critical boost to local economic development programs and projects that directly address the needs in low- to moderate-income communities.

 “This grant awarded to the Thomas House Family Shelter will create access to vital services and support that can be life-changing for unhoused families in Orange County,” said Eric Cicourel, community investment officer for FHLBank San Francisco. “We’re proud that for 20 years and counting, the AHEAD Program continues to make a positive impact throughout the communities we serve.”

For those interested in applying for the AHEAD Program in 2025, please contact Wescom or visit the FHLBank San Francisco website to learn more.

About Wescom Credit Union

Since 1934, Wescom Credit Union has been dedicated to helping people throughout California build better lives. Headquartered in Pasadena, California, Wescom has 30 branches and offers advanced digital banking tools to provide essential banking solutions to more than 240,000 members. Benefits include free checking with eStatements, lower loan rates, higher savings yields, reduced fees, and a robust network of ATMs. Wescom is proud to be named one of “America’s Best Regional Credit Unions” by Newsweek in 2024. For 90 years, Wescom has been serving its community through programs like #WescomKindness and The Wescom Foundation – the Credit Union’s employee-run charitable foundation. Wescom is federally insured by NCUA and is an Equal Housing Opportunity Lender. For more information, please visit wescom.org.

About Thomas House Family Shelter

For over 38 years, Thomas House Family Shelter has served the community by providing a safe, supportive environment & the resources necessary for unhoused and at-risk families with children to remain together while empowering them to become independent and self-sufficient. With a remarkable success rate of 90% in helping graduating families secure permanent housing, Thomas House Family Shelter consistently demonstrates its impactful presence. Collaborating with over 100 local community partners and supported by a dedicated team of over 400 volunteers annually, we continue to strengthen our mission and make a lasting difference in the lives of those we serve.