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When Bobbi Penn needed a stable home for herself and her daughter Naomi, she turned to the very program she now champions as a mortgage lender at State Bank of Toulon. While staying with her brother during a transitional period, Bobbi spotted a house for sale just down the street. The moment felt “meant to be.”
“It was just the right fit for us,” Bobbi recalls. The location allowed Naomi to transfer into the same school district Bobbi had attended as a child and kept her brother close by for support. “If I ever need anything, he’s two seconds away.”
Through FHLBank Chicago’s DPP program, Bobbi received a $10,000 grant to help cover her down payment and closing costs. That support freed up funds to furnish her new home and ease the transition into homeownership for Bobbi and her daughter. “We would not have been able to do that without the grant,” she says.
Bobbi began her career at State Bank of Toulon as a teller. Six years later, she has grown into a mortgage lender who brings compassion and firsthand knowledge to her work. Having gone through the process herself, she guides customers with clarity and reassurance— helping families access programs they might not realize are within reach.
Her story is a powerful reminder of how the DPP Program creates lasting impact: providing stability for families today while empowering professionals like Bobbi to help others achieve the same dream.