Magic City Moment
160-plus volunteers give nine Birmingham nonprofits a summertime boost through Regions Bank’s first-ever Volunteer Extravaganza.
By Wayne Thompson
Helping other Regions Bank associates bag 11,000 diapers for Bundles of Hope Diaper Bank in Birmingham, Alabama, in a little over two hours, Jason Epstein thought of the impact diapers have made in his own child’s life.
“It’s particularly important to me as the father to a 3-year-old and knowing the need for diapers for so many in the community,” said Epstein, head of Consumer Support and Performance Solutions for Regions’ Consumer Banking Group.
“This really does give us the opportunity to help improve someone’s life, and that makes it very special to me.”
Epstein and other Regions volunteers bundled enough diapers to supply more than 220 babies for a month. It was all part of Regions’ first summertime Volunteer Extravaganza July 27-28, thanks to the Associates in Action℠ volunteer program of the Making Life Better Institute℠.
Regions’ largest volunteer effort in a 24-hour period involved more than 160 associates from eight different business lines and benefited nine Birmingham area nonprofits.
“Our first Regions Volunteer Extravaganza was extremely impactful, with more than 500 volunteer hours logged by associates working together to support organizations in the Birmingham area and demonstrate what we value as a company,” said Consumer Banking Regional Executive Steve Nivet.
“We fostered teamwork, collaboration and reinforced our commitment to giving back to the communities we serve.”
Our first Regions Volunteer Extravaganza was extremely impactful, with more than 500 volunteer hours logged by associates working together to support organizations in the Birmingham area and demonstrate what we value as a company.
Steve Nivet, Regions Consumer Banking Regional Executive
While Epstein bagged diapers, Pritha Powell toiled in the muggy heat at the Jones Valley Teaching Farm – pulling weeds and clearing debris alongside the students managing the two-acre farm in the Woodlawn community.
“I enjoyed meeting the students working at the farm and hearing their stories,” said Powell, who leads Regions’ Credit Card and Direct Lending Products teams. “We cleaned out half their planting beds in two hours and know it would have taken the two of them much longer by themselves.”
“Knowing associates from across the bank were helping so many in Birmingham all in one day made it magical for me.”
The Volunteer Extravaganza gave Clyde Tisdale, manager of Regions’ Government and Institutional Banking team, the chance to share his passion for the work of The Community Food Bank of Central Alabama. He’s the vice president of its board.
Tisdale and other volunteers packed 168 food boxes for The Community Food Bank’s mobile pantries in its 12-county service area, and 462 boxes of food for its Senior Grocery Program.
“The event was a huge success, and because of my work with The Community Food Bank, I wanted to be a part of this very special Regions team effort,” Tisdale said. “The experience was energizing and rewarding, especially knowing who it will help and the difference it will make.”
Knowing associates from across the bank were helping so many in Birmingham all in one day made it magical for me.
Pritha Powell, Regions Credit Card and Direct Lending Products team lead
Over at East Lake Initiative, Executive Director Pam Bates watched Regions volunteers pack 200 backpacks with school supplies to support its holistic community development mission in Jefferson County.
“It was a joy to watch the teams work together to fill the backpacks with supplies and then hear stories of actual people who would benefit from these supplies and pick up the backpacks two days later,” Bates said.
“The experience allowed us to share the reason for the supply drive, which frees up money for our families so they can apply those funds to other financial needs,” she said. “We also had the chance to hear what Regions is already doing to support low- to moderate-income families and talk about other ways we could work together.”
Regions’ strategic approach to community investment focuses on economic and community development, education and workforce readiness and financial wellness.
Creating Shared Value One Act of Service at a Time
More than 375 nonprofit organizations and schools in Birmingham have already benefited from Regions associates’ volunteerism this year.
In 2022, Regions associates provided 74,000 hours of volunteerism through a variety of programs complementing the bank’s year-round community engagement activities — bringing its values of putting people first and creating shared value to life.
Bailey Real, assistant director for Pathways, which empowers women and children on their paths out of homelessness through hospitality, housing and hope, said the Volunteer Extravaganza couldn’t have come at a better time.
Regions volunteers assembled furniture, painted two offices and helped place 35 new mattresses, with the United Way agency also gaining at least one new volunteer from the experience.
“The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is when we see the most volunteering,” Real said. “During the summer, people go on vacations and are doing other activities, so volunteering is not on their radar as much.
“Projects like this one, and especially at this time of year, are a huge help to us.”
Making Life Better Together
Send a free volunteerism ecard to help encourage others to give back and make life better.
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