The bank's annual volunteer program is focusing on building financial confidence.
BIRMINGHAM, AL / ACCESSWIRE / April 9, 2024 / Regions Bank on Tuesday announced the launch of its 15th annual Share the Good® initiative, a company-wide volunteer effort that benefits communities served by Regions throughout the Southeast, the Midwest and Texas. To complement the bank's Financial Literacy Month activities this April, Regions' 2024 Share the Good theme is Helping Students Build Financial Confidence.
Regions associates will work with community organizations, youth programs and schools to deliver Regions Next Step® financial wellness curriculum, teach financial education workshops, and more.
According to Gina Sian, who leads the Regions Making Life Better Institute® program, aligning Share the Good initiatives with Financial Literacy Month integrates volunteerism with a key pillar of Regions Bank's community engagement strategy - financial wellness.
"We believe building positive money habits needs to start early," Sian said. "Our middle and high schoolers are the next generation of savers, spenders and investors. If our associates can help students understand the power of their financial choices at a young age, then we can help jump-start their journey toward financial wellness and success."
The Share the Good program is part of an ongoing commitment to community outreach. In 2023, Regions associates volunteered 104,000 hours in the areas where they live and work. More than 1,300 associates were named Regions Community Champions for dedicating at least 16 hours of service to the community - a 54% increase from the prior year.
"The Share the Good program is an opportunity to further use our experience and financial insights in ways that benefit people beyond the four walls of the bank," said Brett Shaffer, head of Community Relations at Regions. "It's another example of how Regions can rally around locally driven service opportunities and make a meaningful impact on others."
Share the Good activities will continue through April 30. Examples include:
Birmingham, Ala.: Regions teams in Jefferson and Shelby counties are organizing several financial wellness events:
- On April 17, GEAR UP Jefferson County is hosting Regions Day. Volunteers will present Banking Basics for Students, part of the Regions Next Step curriculum. There will also be a Regions Next Step Reality Check budget simulation.
- Later in the month, associates will teach Money Basics for Life to students with disabilities at Tarrant High School.
- Opportunities will also be available to conduct financial education courses at the Birmingham Housing Authority and at the Pinson Valley High School Cosmetology Program.
- Additionally, more than a dozen Regions volunteers will participate in Junior Achievement's "JA in a Day" at Grantswood Community School.
Shreveport, La.: Regions associates are excited about facilitating Reality Check budget simulations several times throughout the month:
- On April 9, 10 and 11, teams will work with Volunteers of America North Louisiana and Broadmoor STEM Academy to host these fun, educational exercises for students in VOA's Lighthouse after-school program.
- Another group will lead Reality Check simulations, which replicate real-life financial situations, at Booker T. Washington High School.
Houston, Texas: Regions associates will work with Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas, including by participating in JA in a Day at League Elementary in Pasadena and assisting with JA Finance Park, a program emphasizing personal financial planning and career exploration.
Raleigh, N.C.: Regions Market Executive Terry Hoey is leading by example, teaching financial literacy courses at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Wake County, and he's passionate about Sharing the Good. "Helping more people understand the essentials of money management is one of the most powerful ways we can help our communities," Hoey said. "Reaching students at an early age, especially those from families that may be unbanked or underbanked, helps build a foundation for future success."
Across Iowa: Regions associates are connecting with Iowa Jobs For America's Graduates (iJAG) to present virtual financial education classes to 155 schools throughout the state. The students will review basic banking concepts and learn about money management, saving, creditworthiness and the importance of safeguarding financial information.
Jackson, Tenn.: Kathy Lovell, Regions' Disability Outreach and Services manager, will be on hand at the STAR Center in April to present a Regions Next Step Money for Life course. The STAR Center is a community organization that provides services for education, employment and independence for people with disabilities in West Tennessee.
Community engagement is a significant part of the culture at Regions and is fostered through a variety of ongoing programs. For example, every year, Regions offers associates a paid day off to volunteer in their community. Further, as part of its Making Life Better Institute, the bank connects associates with a wide range of ongoing volunteerism opportunities that align with their skills and experience. Examples of the bank's involvement are available in the annual Shared Value Report and the Community Engagement section of Regions' news website, Doing More Today.
Watch this brief video and be inspired as Leroy Abrahams, head of Community Affairs at Regions Bank, reads the book "The Berenstain Bears' Trouble with Money" to preschool children at Pathways in Birmingham, Alabama. According to Abrahams, introducing concepts such as saving and responsible spending to young kids lays the foundation for building positive money habits as they get older.
About Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF)
Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $152 billion in assets, is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation's largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest and Texas, and through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates approximately 1,250 banking offices and more than 2,000 A™s. Regions Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com.
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SOURCE: Regions Bank