Submitted by Benjamin T Turner on
Jim King became the President of Fahe in 2000 after working with the organization since its beginning in 1990. Fahe and Clinch-Powell have a special relationship dating back to 2009 when Clinch-Powell officially joined the Fahe Network after hearing about the great work they were doing in rural communities. Fahe’s mission to eliminate persistent poverty in Appalachia fits well with our mission to build strong communities. Their collaborative model supports their motto “strength in numbers”. Thanks to Fahe’s partnership Clinch-Powell, and many other rural organizations throughout Appalachia are able to broaden the scope of services to the community.
With Fahe as an intermediary, we are able to expand our lending services as a broker for Rural Development Loans. Laura Meadows Fahe’s Senior Vice President of Lending says, “Fahe takes great pleasure in the work we do with the Clinch-Powell team around helping to move the people of the communities they serve into homeownership. It is clear how hard they work to make sure they take care of the folks they assist. Whether it’s helping their clients choose a loan product that will help them become successful homeowners, providing financial education that will impact the lives of the participants for years to come, or simply offering genuine customer service to their borrowers that they care so deeply about, Clinch-Powell is a cornerstone in their community and I am proud to be a Partner in assisting the great work they do.”
Fahe provides much more to Clinch-Powell than access to lending services. Fahe gave us our initial introduction to the Carol M. Peterson Home Repair Program, they play a valuable role in policy advocacy for affordable housing in rural communities, and they provide access to top quality training for our staff.
Vonda Poynter, Senior Vice President of Membership has this to say, “Fahe Member Clinch-Powell RC&D is involved in some really interesting activities in the communities they serve. They implement a large AmeriCorps program, Appalachia CARES, and true to their nonprofit conservation roots, they implement sustainable activities around ecotourism and assistance to farmers regarding conservation for soil condition and pest control. River Place on the Clinch is a fav! The organization is truly representative of housing and community development.” Our collaboration with Jim King and Fahe has truly shaped the organization that Clinch-Powell has become. We look forward to many more years of serving rural communities alongside such a valuable partner!
