Greenbrier, AR: After raising the required $80,000 thanks to generous staff, and  community donations, the staff of First Service Bank began construction of their first Habitat for Humanity home. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on August 16

Participating in the ceremony were First Service Bank CFO Kenneth Barnard, COO Robin Hackett, Marketing Director, Jon Patrom, as well as the home’s new owner, Army veteran Daryl Jerome Walker. 

Walker, who works nights at Saint Francis House, a temporary shelter for homeless veterans, was brought to First Service Bank’s attention by one of his colleagues at work. 

“We were thrilled to learn about Darryl,” said Hackett. “He’s a hardworking, dedicated young man who gave his all to the Army, and has been dealt a difficult hand since then. We know he will make a very responsible homeowner.”

To qualify for a Habitat home, applicants must exhibit a need, have a decent, passable credit score, and must have a stable income that falls within 30-60% of the median income for Pulaski and Lonoke Counties. Potential homeowners must also complete a rigorous application process.

Most important, as part of the homeowner agreement, Walker will put in 300 hours of sweat equity toward the build and is required to take a course in the basics of homeownership, including how to manage mortgage payments, budgeting, and other homeowner responsibilities. 

About First Service Bank

First Service Bank, headquartered in Faulkner County, has been in operation for over 50 years and has locations in Clinton, Conway, Dermott, Flippin, Greenbrier, Little Rock, Marshall, Mountain View, Shirley, and Yellville. Our mission is to provide high quality, fairly priced financial services while providing a fair return to our stakeholders.  Our vision is to create experiences that exceed expectations while creating an atmosphere where our personal and business banking customers can feel at home.  

About Habitat for Humanity of Central Arkansas

Habitat for Humanitybuilds houses in partnership with Central Arkansas individuals and families in need. Volunteer labor is used to keep building costs low, and Habitat homeowners make a monthly payment on an affordable mortgage. They also invest hundreds of hours of their own labor—sweat equity—into building their own houses and the houses of others. Habitat homeowner payments go into a revolving fund that helps build houses with other families. Since its start in 1989, Habitat has built over 200 new homes in Pulaski and Lonoke counties and rehabbed over 600 homes through their Neighborhood Revitalization program.