Merchants Bank of Indiana is excited to announce that this year’s FHLBank Indianapolis Community Spirit Award recipient for Indiana is none other than Vice President of Affordable Lending, Becca Murphy!
Since 2007, FHLBank Indianapolis has presented the Community Spirit Award each year to honor an outstanding individual at one of its member institutions in Indiana and Michigan that has shown a commitment to affordable housing and community development. The winners are advocates for their communities and have used FHLBank Indianapolis programs to improve the lives of those around them. Along with the recognition, FHLBank Indianapolis donates $2,500 to the nonprofit organization of the winners’ choosing.
For more than 35 years, Becca has dedicated her career to serving the housing needs of low- to moderate-income individuals and neighborhoods across Indianapolis. She has established key relationships with many local community development organizations and projects, including Intend Indiana, community development corporations (CDCs), the IndyAMP program – of which Becca was integral in creating – that proved essential during the pandemic as many needed resources to stay in their homes, the John Boner Neighborhood Center, Community Action of Greater Indianapolis and more. In addition, Becca frequently delivers homebuyer education workshops on behalf of Merchants Bank and mentors individuals in finding their path to financial empowerment.
Becca also was a tremendous driver for sourcing eligible candidates for the Homeownership Opportunities Program (HOP) and Neighborhood Impact Program (NIP), helping applicants receive nearly $150,000 in 2022. She championed these programs by coordinating referrals from area CDCs who sourced eligible candidates and ensured applicants were pre-qualified for timely submission to access limited grant funds. All in all, Becca’s caring attitude towards her community and personal commitment to help those with the greatest need, made her the perfect candidate.
President of Merchants Mortgage Jerry Koors had this to say about Becca and her recognition: “Becca has built a legacy around supporting access to affordable housing across Indianapolis. She radiates passion for this community of homebuyers, building true connections, bonds of trust and, most importantly, respect. We are beyond proud of Becca’s talent for developing solutions to housing finance challenges and are delighted to see her being recognized at the highest levels.
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