Greenville County assistance programs

Mortgage Assistance

The local United Way organization is providing both leadership and support to a newly created Greenville County Foreclosure task force that will help them prevent foreclosures in Greenville County South Carolina. As a part of this assistance being offered, a mortgage rescue fund was funded with hundreds of thousands of dollars. It was created to help qualified homeowners who are behind with their mortgage payments, and will help them restructure their mortgages in order to prevent a foreclosure or save their homes. The United Way partners with groups and organizations such as Salvation Army, GAIHN, and the Homes of Hope, and all these groups are helping to provide transitional housing to local Greenville residents who lose their homes or are in danger of losing their homes.

The need for mortgage and foreclosure help is dire. Foreclosures continue to increase in Greenville County, South Carolina. In 2008, almost 3,000 homes went into foreclosure, which was an increase from 2,801 in 2007. This is according to the Greenville County Human Relations Commission and other statistics. Contact the United Way of Greenville County at 864.467.3333. Or click here to find other programs that provide mortgage assistance.

Help with rent, utility bills, and other costs

The Salvation Army of Greenville County has several resources and services for Greenville residents. They are providing emergency financial assistance and cash grants to help those people who need rent help, utility bill assistance, help for medical bills, and more. A listing of their resources is below. Contact them at 864-235-4803.

The Greenville County Salvation Army assists individuals and families with everyday expenses and basic needs on a daily basis. People who are struggling, or who may be having difficulty due to the loss of a job, or a reduction in income can turn to The Salvation Army for a variety of necessities and assistance programs. These options include:

• Utility bills - A disconnection notice is required or be imminent.
• Referrals to other community resources, such as patient assistance programs for free medications, and other government programs
• Clothing
• Rent Assistance
• Food Aid
• Prescription Medications and Drugs

Help with heating bills

A local organization, SHARE, or Sunbelt Human Advancement Resources, serves Greenville County residents and provides them with grants and funds for paying heating bills. S.H.A.R.E. administers a $1.5 million federal government home heating bill assistance program. If a person or family doesn't qualify for the federal government help, the agency also relies on private donations and those funds may be available. The budget for that private assistance is about $300,000 per year. In addition, the agency also distributes blankets and other essentials to the disabled and elderly every winter who may be struggling. Call 864-269-0700 to learn more.

Another place to turn to for utility and heating bill help is the Salvation Army of Greenville County. They plan to provide emergency cash grants and financial assistance for heating service to struggling families. They have also opened shelters for people who need a warm place to stay. The Salvation Army of Greenville South Carolina can be contacted at (864) 235-4803. Please note that those people who are seeking financial help or grants from them will need a disconnection notice.

Direct assistance

SHARE also offers other types of assistance, including eviction prevention, restoration of utility services, vouchers for medication, emergency fuel, and utility service disconcertion assistance. Contact them at the number above.

Another local non-profit agency that can help Greenville South Carolina families is Urban Ministries, which can be reached at 232-6463. Some of the programs they offer include these.

• Employment Readiness - This program can help a people find a job, and Urban Ministries partners with the United Way, American Red Cross, and Greenville Technical College. Professionals will help people find a job, network, and coach candidates.
• Emergency Assistance - The mission of Emergency Assistance program is to offer short term solutions, provide hopeful options, strong encouragement to people in need, and also offer a measure of stability to people that are finding themselves in a financial crisis. The assistance program helps people with food, paying their rent, offers utility bill help, provides life sustaining medications, heat assistance, and food stamp applications and free food.

Get emergency rent and mortgage help, energy and utility bill help, as well as food assistance

A total of six local, non-profit charity agencies that are all located on the front lines of the nations current economic crisis have been awarded grants and funds totaling tens of thousands of dollars. The money is being provided to these organizations from United Way of Greenville County. The money will be distributed by the 6 local agencies to help them meet the community's increased demand for emergency basic needs and assistance with paying bills, rent, and mortgages. Click here to find additional ways to get mortgage help in South Carolina.

The funds and assistance programs will be provided by The Salvation Army, United Ministries, Golden Strip Emergency Relief, Harvest Hope Food Bank, Foothills Family Resources, and Greer Relief. Each of these agencies will receive thousands of dollars in emergency funding to help address the growing need prompted by record unemployment in the Greenville South Carolina area and the home foreclosure crisis. The funds are designated to providing direct service to the community in the form of rent and mortgage assistance, utility bill assistance and/or food assistance.

Health care services

A local agency offers several health care programs. No matter whether you or your family needs pediatrics, internal medicine, family medicine, prescriptions, or select specialty health care services, New Horizon Family Health Services has several free or low priced services. They provide medical help to low income, the unemployed, and those with no or limited health insurance. 864-233-1534