Golden Belt Bank and FHLBank Topeka Award $10,000 to the Heartland Ellis County Disaster Relief Fund

The Heartland Community Foundation is pleased to announce that Golden Belt Bank and FHLBank Topeka have awarded $10,000 to the Ellis County Disaster Relief Fund, one of three disaster relief funds managed by the foundation.

The Heartland Disaster Relief Funds were first established in 2021 following the devastating windstorm and wildfires that impacted Northwest Kansas. Since then, the funds in Ellis, Rooks, and Trego counties have granted more than $100,000 to support recovery efforts and build resilience for future emergencies. In Ellis County alone, over $41,000 has been distributed to help local organizations and residents recover. Today, the combined value of the funds has grown to nearly $200,000, providing the flexibility to respond quickly when disaster strikes.

This new award comes through FHLBank Topeka’s Community Assistance Recovery Effort (CARE) Program, which matches $3 for every $1 contributed by a member institution to local disaster relief. Golden Belt Bank, a member of FHLBank Topeka since 1934, secured the inaugural CARE Program grant to support Heartland’s Ellis County Disaster Relief Fund.

Ellis County was included in a March 2025 FEMA declaration for severe winter storms, straight-line winds, flooding, and wildfires.

“We’re incredibly grateful for Golden Belt Bank’s leadership and FHLBank Topeka’s investment in strengthening disaster preparedness in Ellis County,” said Sarah Meitner, Executive Director of Heartland Community Foundation. “These funds are critical to ensuring that our communities can respond with speed and compassion when emergencies happen.”

“Community financial institutions are at the forefront of supporting their communities through difficult times,” said Jeff Kuzbel, president/CEO of FHLBank Topeka. “We designed the CARE

Program to amplify the contributions our members are making when a natural disaster occurs. We are honored to award the first CARE grant to Golden Belt Bank, a member with long ties to their community and our cooperative.”

Community members who wish to contribute to the Ellis, Rooks, or Trego Disaster Relief Funds can give securely online at www.heartlandcommunityfoundation.org or by mailing a donation to Heartland Community Foundation, PO Box 1673, Hays, KS 67601. Donors are asked to note the county disaster relief fund they wish to support.