Bellows Falls, VT –Cathy Eakins, Residential Lending Officer with Peoples United, a Division of M&T Bank, received the illustrious Tom Yahn Award at Windham & Windsor Housing Trust’s (WWHT) 34th Annual Celebration in May at the Waypoint Center in Bellows Falls.
The award is given out annually, in honor of former WWHT board member Tom Yahn, to a community member who demonstrates a long term commitment to the preservation and development of affordable housing and/or to the lives of those who live in affordable housing. This was the first award since Tom’s tragic passing felt across the community in early 2021.
“For over twenty years, through her professional and volunteer work, Cathy Eakins’ has demonstrated her commitment to the Tom Yahn Award’s core principal that ‘everything we do for the citizens of our community must start with safe, decent, and affordable housing.’” said WWHT board president Victor Morrison.
Cathy has been a steady and devoted member of WWHT’s Home Repair Program’s Loan Review Committee, having joined as a founding member. Cathy is an important resource to WWHT’s housing counseling staff in helping them understand changing mortgage guidelines and is consistently described in positive ways by many 1st time homebuyers enrolled in WWHT’s Smart Start to Homeownership Program.
She has also been an invaluable resource for the both staff and homebuyers who are purchasing a home through WWHT’s shared equity program. This program removes a key barrier to homeownership by providing a generous down payment grant which helps people achieve the dream of owning their home and enjoying all of the autonomy, stability and wealth generation that homeownership provides. But it adds a layer of complexity to a process that is already lengthy and challenging to navigate. Cathy’s kind and skillful approach has helped 100s of homebuyers successfully complete the process and enjoy being homeowners.
Board President, Victor, closed with. “For all these reasons, on behalf of the WWHT board I am pleased to present Cathy Eakins with the 2022 Tom Yahn award.”
For information about any of WWHT’s Homeownership programs, apartments, and to learn how to apply for housing, call (802) 254-4604.
