Home Field Advantage

Brian Ching became a legend on the field through vision and talent.

Finding purpose off the pitch helped him make Houston the place he’s proudly called home for 20 years.

This time, giving back involved paintbrushes and plenty of helping hands.

“To be able to go in and help people get the things done they need to have a nice home is pretty special,” he said.

In late September, Ching, a Houston Sports Hall of Fame inductee, was joined by several current Houston Dynamo FC and Houston Dash players to help give homes a refresh in Houston’s East End neighborhood.

Also lending an assist? Twenty Regions Bank associates who volunteered as part of the bank’s sponsorship of the Houston Dynamo and Dash.

To be able to go in and help people get the things done they need to have a nice home is pretty special.” Brian Ching

See how Regions associates, Houston Dynamo and Dash representatives and additional volunteers teamed up to help preserve the Salazar family home.

That hands-on involvement is key to how Regions approaches serving communities in places it, too, proudly calls home.

“We strive to be part of the community; we need to give back to the community where we live and work,” said Caroline Vérot Moore, Commercial Banking leader and Houston market president for Regions Bank. “It’s a very big part of Regions Bank and what we do.”

And that commitment goes further when businesses and community organizations work side by side.

“To know that there are banks that truly care about the community, banks, businesses, sports – we all care about the same thing, which is making our community better,” said Dexter Davis, director of Development with the organization. “It’s making our neighborhoods better, and in this case, making this home better for the next 20 years for this family to live.”

We strive to be part of the community; we need to give back to the community where we live and work. It’s a very big part of Regions Bank and what we do.” Caroline Vérot Moore, Commercial Banking leader and Houston market president for Regions Bank

Meet the Salazars

Over the past 30 years, Alberto and Hortencia Salazar raised their six children and now welcome their 12 grandchildren into the home that’s hosted countless family celebrations. Alberto worked as a restaurant cook for 30 years before becoming an airport maintenance technician. He’s always taken pride in maintaining the family’s home and taking care of his family.

With recent health issues making it more difficult for Alberto to tackle some of the work himself, needed repairs began to accumulate. That’s when Rebuilding Juntos stepped in to help.

As longtime soccer fans, the Salazars had an added reason to appreciate some of the familiar faces lending a hand.

Hearing Mr. Salazar’s story and seeing how much his home means to his family reminded me that we weren’t just painting a house; we were helping preserve a lifetime of memories.” Thomas Reid, Regions Contact Center training supervisor

Julissa Garcia says her grandparents have spent a lifetime putting family first.

“Our grandparents are some of the most deserving people in the world,” Garcia said. “They worked so hard and they don’t ask for anything.”

After spending the morning working at the Salazar home, Regions Contact Center training supervisor Thomas Reid saw firsthand that the job was about far more than repairs.

“Hearing Mr. Salazar’s story and seeing how much his home means to his family reminded me that we weren’t just painting a house; we were helping preserve a lifetime of memories,” Reid said.

And he wasn’t the only volunteer moved by what the day meant to the family.

“Seeing Mr. Salazar and his family, and how happy and grateful he was to have us all painting at his home, made everything worthwhile,” said Jazline Cole, a Contact Center training specialist.

More Than a Fresh Coat of Paint

Preserving those memories involved plenty of hands-on work.

Outside the Salazar home, volunteers:

And inside, licensed contractors addressed larger safety and accessibility needs as they:

The work strengthened more than the Salazars’ home. It also strengthened connections among the people working on it.

“We laughed, worked hard and supported each other while making a real difference for someone in our community,” Reid said. “It reinforced the impact we can make when we come together for a common purpose.”

It’s a purpose Ching has embraced for two decades in the city that embraced him.

“I’ve always felt the people of Houston have given us so much,” Ching said. “Obviously, it makes everyone feel good when they can help another person.”