BIRMINGHAM, Ala.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regions Bank on Monday announced its annual Share the Good program will focus on showing support for small businesses that have faced challenges over the last year due to the global pandemic.
Each year, Share the GoodSM provides an opportunity for Regions associates to offer support for fellow community members. In previous years, Share the Good has focused on first responders, educators and more. This year, small businesses and community partners are being recognized for their resilience and strength in serving our communities during the pandemic.
“Small businesses are the economic heartbeat of our communities, and every day, teams from Regions Bank are working with business owners to help them succeed. Share the Good gives us another way to reflect our support for entrepreneurs, as well as our community partners that are helping businesses thrive,” said Kate Danella, chief strategy and client experience officer for Regions Bank. “Throughout the impacts of the global pandemic, Regions has worked diligently to connect small businesses with financial insights and resources, and we will continue supporting businesses beyond the pandemic to further meet their needs. In addition, our year-round community engagement is designed to make an impactful difference for small businesses facing a wide range of needs. We are inspired by the remarkable resilience within our business community, and we are proud to build on our support.”
Share the Good activities will take place from June 21 – June 25. All events will benefit small businesses through purchases, gift card distributions, promotions at community events, social media coverage, or other opportunities. Examples include:
- In Nashville, Tennessee, Regions will purchase gift cards from a small business in the North Nashville area and deliver those gift cards to employees and visitors at the Tennessee State Museum nearby. Regions is currently rebuilding its North Nashville branch that was destroyed by the March 2020 tornado; the branch serves local business clients, and the new facility will further Regions’ commitment to the surrounding area.
- Also in Nashville, Regions will offer a show of support for the Central Police Precinct, whose officers were crucial to the public safety response to the Christmas Day 2020 bombing. Specifically, Regions will purchase baked goods from a local bakery and deliver them to Central Precinct officers.
- In St. Louis, Missouri, Regions will support a local restaurant by purchasing 50 $20 gift cards to provide to health care workers who deliver crucial services to people across the community.
- In Miami, Florida, Regions’ local Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Network, in conjunction with one of the bank’s community partners, the Miami Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber, will host a small-business Regions Next Step® session for chamber members. Next Step is Regions’ year-round financial wellness program that provides tools and resources aimed at helping people and businesses take action toward reaching their financial goals.
- In Pensacola, Florida, Regions will be sponsoring “Sensory Street,” an incredible new interactive event benefitting Autism Pensacola, while supporting restaurants in the area through purchases and donations.
- In Indianapolis, Regions is supporting a Summer Micro-Enterprise Pitch contest. The micro-enterprise pitch is a business development initiative aimed at fostering more small-business success in Central Indiana.
- In Regions’ corporate headquarters city of Birmingham, the bank is donating gift cards purchased from a small business. The cards will be given to children and families attending Summer Adventures in Learning (SAIL) programs, which help bridge the summer learning gap for children by providing needed educational and enrichment activities.
- Additional plans include activities supporting small businesses and random acts of kindness throughout Regions’ markets across the Southeast, Midwest and Texas.
Regions will share highlights from this week’s activities through @RegionsNews on Twitter and the bank’s news website, Regions.DoingMoreToday.com.
By focusing the 2021 Share the Good program on small businesses, Regions is continuing to go the extra mile in support of small-business owners and community partners. Regions has shown that support through several important methods, including investing in small-business growth, providing fee waivers and payment relief based on individual needs during times of economic hardships, launching an online collection of financial wellness tools and resources called Next Step for Business, and conducting fraud-prevention seminars.
Regions also facilitated approximately 75,000 Paycheck Protection Program loans as part of the U.S. Small Business Administration program that was established during the pandemic to support small businesses. The loans represented approximately $6.5 billion in SBA funding, supporting the jobs of hundreds of thousands of people who work for the clients receiving funding. This program offered a financial lifeline for small businesses during a period of economic uncertainty. The financial support not only helped the businesses that needed the funding, but also the employees who depend on those businesses for a paycheck and the customers who depend on those businesses for their services.
More examples of the bank’s involvement can be found in the Small Business section of Regions.DoingMoreToday.com. Further information about the bank’s commitment to community engagement can be found at this link.
About Regions Financial Corporation
Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $153 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 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.
