Hillcrest Transitional Housing is asking people to vote for its organization to receive funding and get a free chicken sandwich at the same time.

Shannen White with Hillcrest said the agency was nominated by Chick-fil-A St. Joseph Owner, Jared Johnson for the Chick-fil-A Foundation’s 2017 True Inspiration Awards. White said Hillcrest made it through the application process and five rounds of scoring that initially made them a Regional Finalist. Hillcrest is now one of the top four. She said if Hillcrest wins, the organization will be awarded $75,000.

“Now it’s up to the community to vote,” White said. “It’s very important that everybody in the community rally around this effort so that we can get as many votes as possible and win this grant money.”

In order to vote for Hillcrest, White said people need to download the Chick-fil-A app onto their phone, then go down to vote, click on the Midwest Region then go to Hillcrest and click submit.

Hillcrest is a program that helps homeless families come out of homelessness and into self-sufficiency.  White said if they win the $75,000 they will start up a youth program in the St. Joseph community.

“The youth program is an extended program to help our youth graduate from high school and get into college and really break that cycle of poverty and get to our youth at a very young age so that they don’t live a life of homelessness,” White said.

St. Joseph Chick-fil-A is also offering one free chicken sandwich to anyone who votes for Hillcrest.  Participants need to bring their phone the restaurant to show the cashier they voted.

Voting closes Oct. 17.  According to the App, winners will be selected Nov. 10.