For Laura Jones, miracles happen.

Jones, who lives on a fixed income, had severe a roof problem for about four years  that allowed water to leak in several rooms of her Spring Street home every time it rained.

“I had leaks on my porch, in my bedroom, bathroom; kitchen as well,” she said. “I had mold in my bathroom; it got so bad. I knew I had to get it fixed, but on a fixed income, there’s not much you can do. That money has to pay for your food, your medicines, pay your utilities.”

Her situation changed earlier this year when she became the recipient of a $4,930 grant from the Special Needs Assistance Program of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas through RiverHills Bank.

The special needs, or SNAP, grant is designed to help people like Jones, who are on limited incomes or elderly, repair or renovate their homes by providing up to $5,000 to cover the repair costs.

The work was done between April and May, Jones said.

“We had 18 grants totaling $175,000,” said Gertrude Young, Vicksburg’s housing director. “RiverHills participated in 11 homes, Trustmark (Bank) had four and BancorpSouth had three.”

She said funding for the grants is provided through the federal Community Reinvestment Act, which was passed in 1972 to encourage banks and credit unions to meet the credit needs of the communities they serve.

RiverHills Bank Senior Vice President David Blackledge said the SNAP program is a critical program for strengthening the community and lending a hand to its residents.

“We’re a community bank, so we are members of this community ourselves,” he said. “Any time we can help make a difference in someone’s life, we’re fulfilling our mission. It is our privilege to help Ms. Jones make these repairs and stay in her home.”

“So far, I’ve been blessed,” Jones said. “I was able to have people come here and get things fixed. They did a lot more work than they were paid. They really worked hard and went beyond to fix my house.”