Last year, First Reliance Bank committed $100,000 in affordable housing grants through its Hometown Heroes program to eligible teachers and educators who work for Florence One Schools.  First Reliance Bank is pleased to announce that all available grant funds were awarded during the first year, helping 8 teachers and educators with Florence 1 Schools in their homeownership journey.

“We have the best teachers here in Florence and we want them to stay,” said Dr. O’Malley, Florence 1 Schools superintendent. “Working with First Reliance Bank through their Hometown Heroes program was an amazing partnership, and we couldn’t be happier with the outcome – 8 educators investing in their future through homeownership.” 

While the initial program has concluded, First Reliance Bank is continuing to offer support for Florence 1 School employees through the First Reliance At Work program. This benefits package is tailored to meet the needs of employees of local businesses, including the school district. The program offerings include up to $1,000 toward mortgage closing costs and $500 toward Home Equity Loan closing costs, a Mortgage Service Guarantee of up to $500 and a 0.75% customer loan rate reduction with a checking account and automatic loan payment, among other key benefits.

“We’re thrilled with the success of our partnership with Florence 1 Schools through our Hometown Heroes program,” said Tom Ewart, Florence market president with First Reliance Bank. “We appreciate Dr. O’Malley and Florence 1 Schools combining efforts with us to offer this innovative package to benefit school employees and we look forward to continuing our partnership with these hometown heroes.”

In addition to the housing grant partnership and the First Reliance At Work Program benefits package, First Reliance also offers financial literacy webinars on topics such as: credit repair, budgeting, preparation for home ownership and investment services. To learn more, visit www.firstreliance.com.