Mortgage Lender Reaches Out Through Community Service

It is no secret to consumers of any product or service that there are a variety of places they can take their business. And while it isn’t always possible, finding a company with a culture that includes treating customers like family and giving back to the community is a formula for success — especially in Hawaii.

For 157 years, First Hawaiian Bank has lived by this philosophy, which has translated into a focus on creating relationships — not just customers — and being a part of the community it serves. As the largest bank, as well as one of the few local portfolio lenders in the state, First Hawaiian Bank offers a wide range of financial products such as construction and land loans, jumbo loans and home equity lines of credit to help people achieve their homeownership dreams. Last year, First Hawaiian Bank helped put more than 3,000 smiles on the faces of homeowners throughout Hawaii, Guam and Saipan with more than $1 billion in residential lending.

Recently, First Hawaiian Bank and its employees took on a heartwarming project to improve Hawaii schools. In association with Hawaii 3R’s (Repair, Remodel and Restore), First Hawaiian Bank and its employees began to tackle maintenance projects at 21 public schools over the course of seven Saturdays. This is an initiative to bring in outside resources — financial and volunteer — to tackle the state’s $640 million repair and maintenance backlog at Hawaii’s public schools.

“There’s a lot of aloha for the public schools among our employees, many of whom are graduates or have children attending public school,” says Bob Harrison, First Hawaiian Bank’s chairman and CEO. “As a community bank, helping schools in the neighborhoods we serve is our way of building stronger communities for us all.”

As part of the bank’s annual Community Care employee volunteer initiative, First Hawaiian Bank made a $50,000 contribution to the project. No state dollars will be used for the projects. Amazingly, more than 1,000 volunteer employees have signed up to help with painting projects at 18 Oahu and three Hawaii Island public schools. The project started on Aug. 8 at Leihoku and Nanakuli elementary and Waianae High. On Aug. 15, the volunteers moved on to Kaleiopuu Elementary, Waipahu Elementary, Waipahu Middle and August Ahrens Elementary. On Aug. 22, volunteers on the Big Island were at Hilo, Honokaa and Waiakea high schools. And last weekend, they painted at Kaala, Solomon and Red Hill elementary schools. Next weekend: Kapalama Elementary and Puuhale Elementary. On Sept. 19: Ala Wai Elementary, Jefferson Elementary, and Kaimuki High; and on Sept. 26, Lincoln Elementary, Jarrett Middle and Campbell High.

Throughout the years, teams of First Hawaiian Bank employees partner with non-profit organizations around the state to assist with community service volunteer activities, including beach clean ups, landscaping/gardening activities, and painting senior facilities. In 2014, First Hawaiian Bank employees provided nearly 10,000 volunteer hours to assist 16 charities in Hawaii, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Additionally, First Hawaiian Bank has achieved a 98 percent employee participation rate for the past two years in its Kokua Mai campaign, an employee-run voluntary donation program, and has donated more than $4.7 million to various nonprofit organizations since its inception in 2007.

First Hawaiian Bank has more than 2,100 employees who generally live in the communities they serve and has long lived by this philosophy of building relationships with its customers and the community. To see how they can help you with your financial, residential or community service needs, visit any First Hawaiian Bank branch or call 844-4444.