ADEL, Iowa – Through 25 years of serving families across the Midwest, an Urbandale-based mortgage company, Midwest Family Lending, has recognized that the “most wonderful time of the year” can also be one of the most stressful– especially for families struggling with job loss, a death in the family, military deployment, a health crisis or similar stressors.
“Many local families are facing a variety of hardships, which can feel magnified this time of year,” says Chuck West, president of Midwest Family Lending. “Although we would love to do more, we hope a little support will ease the burden for these families — especially during this season.”
The Midwest Family team wanted to make the Christmas season a bit brighter for at least a few by donating to more than a dozen local families in need during the 12 Days of Christmas. They reached out to local schools, hospitals, churches, ministerial associations and other community groups to identify families in need of support and a little hope in the second year of the company’s #SpreadCheer project.
Spreading the Christmas cheer brought them to Adel residents Nate and Melissa Shanks, who were nominated in the #SpreadCheer program by Sara Fuller of Adel, licensed home loan originator with Midwest Family Lending.
Nate is the owner of a small plumbing business who, due to COVID-19, developed liver failure that required many hospitalizations not covered by insurance.
“Nate is a great, hard-working man who does a lot for the community,” Fuller said. “As he was building his plumbing business, he and his wife got hit hard with COVID. This led to liver failure and lots of hospital stays for him not covered by insurance and time off work. They’re now left just trying to make ends meet. He is a very good guy who could use a break.”
Fuller and her team reached out to local community groups to identify more than a dozen families like the Shanks, who were in need of support and a little hope throughout the 12 Days of Christmas for the second year of the company’s #SpreadCheer project. Read all their stories here.
Midwest Family Lending is based in Urbandale and serves all of Iowa as well as Nebraska, South Dakota and Colorado.
Katie McIntyre is the marketing director of Midwest Family Lending.
