Quick reaction and teamwork are hallmarks of Regions Bank associates’ response when needs arise in our communities.
This past weekend was no exception.
When news emerged about Friday night’s deadly tornado outbreak in Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Tennessee — and especially the devastation in western Kentucky — teams across the bank acted quickly.
Associates from Consumer and Corporate banking groups, Corporate Security, Facilities, Human Resources, Community Affairs and Corporate Communications all came together to formulate an action plan and get to work.
Photo Credit: Kimberly Moore
The first step was making sure our associates were safe. Human Resources conducted wellness checks to 467 associates in impacted areas and thankfully, all associates who responded were safe.
As soon as they could safely confirm reliable information, Corporate Security and Facilities teams performed damage assessments on our physical property. The vast majority of Regions Bank branches across the impacted areas suffered little to no damage and remain open as usual.
Regions’ Mayfield Plaza branch was not physically damaged by the storm, but the widespread loss of power in the area has forced them to operate under generator power temporarily.
Local Regions Bank teams, including bankers, market executives, community relations officers and community development managers, then began their work “on the ground” to assess needs and begin developing a plan to help customers, businesses, and communities in the impacted areas.
In short order, the Regions Foundation announced a commitment of $100,000 in grant funding for organizations providing disaster relief and long-term recovery support. The funding will be divided among various agencies meeting short-term and long-term needs.
- $50,000 to the American Red Cross: This funding will be used to support people impacted by the tornadoes across a multi-state area including Northeast Arkansas, Middle and Western Tennessee and the St. Louis Metro East area in Illinois.
- $35,000 for the Mayfield Graves County Tornado Relief Fund: The fund is managed by the Mayfield Graves County Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with Graves County Economic Development. The fund will be used to meet a variety of needs for those impacted by the historic storm that devastated Mayfield and other portions of Western Kentucky late on the night of Dec. 10.
- The remaining $15,000 from the $100,000 total will be allocated to organizations based on longer-term needs that emerge in the coming weeks or months.
“One of the greatest ways we can make an impact is by supporting the agencies that know these communities best and are ready to deliver vital support,” said Marta Self, executive director of the Regions Foundation. “We appreciate the work of every relief agency, every first responder, and every community member who is working to make a difference, and we encourage other people, organizations, and businesses to consider ways they, too, can support the important relief work that’s underway.”
In addition to these grants, associates who work at Regions Bank locations across the Mid-South are collecting supplies to help those in need. The supplies will be delivered in a coordinated manner to impacted communities in the coming days.
Regions Bank is also offering a series of disaster-recovery financial services for people and businesses in portions of Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Missouri that were impacted by the storms. Services such as Regions Mortgage Disaster Relief Purchase and Renovation loan programs, ATM fee waivers, free check-cashing for FEMA-issued checks, payment deferrals, and loan payment assistance, among others, are included. See a detailed list of services on the December 15 Regions media release.
Other important, local efforts are underway, as well. Amid the destruction in Mayfield, the building that houses Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA, a local organization that supports and promotes court-appointed advocates for abused or neglected children, lost its roof. Regions Bank teams, with leadership from market executive Brandy Mitchell, are assisting the organization by moving all their office equipment to a temporary home: the building that houses the Mayfield Plaza Regions branch.
Photo Credit: Kimberly Moore
“The building that holds our Mayfield Plaza branch had some extra space on another floor, and since we were fortunate to not sustain any damage, we were happy to help our friends at CASA relocate to a safe space,” Mitchell said. “It just feels good to do something for someone during this time when there’s so much need. Now more than ever I’m truly proud to be part of the Regions Bank family.”
The Mayfield area teams also went to work immediately to recover gifts from a toy drive that was held for the Family Resource Center/Youth Service Center. The annual “Spirit of Giving” drive, which is sponsored by Regions Bank along with local TV affiliate WPSD, generated 200 donated toys that were delivered last Friday, just before the storm hit. And now half the building is destroyed, and many toys were lost.
“This terrible tragedy is made even worse by the timing,” said Community Relations Officer Kimberly Moore. “People here need so much—food, water, and basic supplies—but we can’t forget it’s Christmas. We want children in Mayfield to have gifts to open on that special day. We want to give them a reason to smile.”
Additionally, Regions Bank has made a $5,000 gift to Benton, Kentucky, organization, Marcella’s Kitchen, that is assisting with disaster recovery in that heavily hit area. Marcella’s Kitchen is serving free breakfast and lunch to all first responders, volunteers and people in need throughout the community, and the Regions Bank funds are supporting those efforts.
Sharon Hightower, Consumer Banking regional executive sums up the commitment by the Regions Bank teams.
“These are the communities where our teams live and work. These are the people and businesses we serve every day, and we will be here for them every step of the way,” Hightower said, “In addition to their local experience, our teams are backed by the strength of our entire organization at Regions Bank.”
“We are all united in our commitment to supporting the recovery” she said.
About Regions Foundation
Regions Foundation supports community investments that positively impact the communities served by Regions Bank. The Foundation engages in a grantmaking program focused on priorities including economic and community development; education and workforce readiness; and financial wellness. The Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation funded primarily through contributions from Regions Bank.
About Regions Financial Corporation
Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $156 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 more than 1,300 banking offices and approximately 2,000 ATMs. 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.