Gulfport, MS - Renaissance Community Loan Fund officials announced the local nonprofit has been awarded $950,000 from the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund. The grant is part of the 2018 CDFI Program, which was established to serve low-income communities across the country through financial and technical assistance.

​Renaissance, a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution, provides personalized
lending products, and specializes in assisting low-income and credit-challenged borrowers
achieve homeownership and become business owners. As a CDFI, Renaissance supports its
clients with extensive financial counseling throughout the life of the loan, resulting in a greater client success rate.

Renaissance will use the funds to expand its products and services in the state. Renaissance
began offering affordable lending programs in 2007 in South Mississippi, and in 2017, opened
an office in Tupelo to better serve the residents in North Mississippi. This award now allows
Renaissance to continue its growth with a focus on Central Mississippi. Additionally, the award
provides the resources to expand on its specialized loan products to meet the needs of its
existing and new borrowers throughout Mississippi.

“Renaissance is honored to receive this award of funds and is grateful to the US Treasury and
the CDFI Fund for allowing us to continue our mission and promote economic opportunity
throughout the state,” said Kimberly LaRosa, president and CEO of Renaissance Community
Loan Fund. “It was a record amount of funding announced for CDFI’s in Mississippi, due in large part to the outstanding advocacy by our Mississippi delegation to demonstrate the importance of CDFI Fund programs in the state.”

For information on Renaissance Community Loan Fund and its lending programs that are
available throughout Mississippi, visit http://www.rclfms.com.

​Contact Information
Denise Carver, Director or Administration & Marketing
Renaissance Community Loan Fund
(228) 896-3386, ext. 107
dcarver@rclfms.com
www.rclfms.com

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​Marcus Bell has had a love for trucks and trucking ever since he was a little boy. His father has been driving a truck for over 47 years, and he would take Marcus with him on his out of town trips. This seed of love for the trucking industry was planted at an early age, and it continued to grow. Marcus has now been driving on his own for 20 years.

After driving for various companies over the years and continuing  to build on his knowledge of the industry, Marcus knew that it was time he combined his passion for trucking and his extensive experience into something more substantial and long-term. He founded Bell Trucking in 2013 and purchased the company’s first truck. He was also awarded a Gold Star of Achievement for excellent customer service.

Five years and many more miles later, Bell Trucking, with the help of Renaissance’s flexible underwriting and personal one-one-one financial counseling, purchased a brand new, state-of-the-art truck. The new truck not only allows Marcus and Bell Trucking to continue providing excellent customer service for their clients, but affords them the peace of mind knowing they have dependable equipment to grow the business for years to come.

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