Dollars, time to fight hunger donated through May
CINCINNATI–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Fifth Third Bank’s annual “Feeding Our Communities” initiative provided
nearly 3 million meals in May to fight hunger across its 10-state
footprint, triple its original goal. The month-long effort involved
4,000 hours volunteered by employees and monetary donations, including
Shield of Recognition sales to employees and customers.
According to Feeding America, 40 million Americans – including more than
12 million children – live in households that lack the means to get
enough nutritious food on a regular basis. As a result, they struggle
with hunger at some time during the year. Food-insecure families,
defined as those who have limited or uncertain availability of
nutritionally adequate and safe food, exist in every county in America.
Statistics like these inspire the Bank to make a difference in the
communities that it serves.
Phil McHugh, executive vice president and head of Regional Banking,
Business Banking and Wealth Management, and Fifth Third Day corporate
champion, explained that the Bank is dedicated to assisting those who
are less fortunate. “We serve our communities in numerous ways. During
the month of May, we focused on fighting hunger. I am proud that,
together, our employees and customers provided nearly 3 million meals to
those in need. This is making our communities a Fifth Third better.”
In Greater Cincinnati, employees assembled “power packs,” which provide
healthful, kid-friendly meals for at-risk children during the weekend.
Employees in other parts of the region also participated in a month-long
drive to collect nonperishable food at the Madisonville campus and
participated in events with the Children’s Home and Madisonville
Education and Assistance Center. In total, the region provided 307,089
meals.
“Every day, over 81,000 kids are among the 267,000 people in the
Tristate area who are at risk for hunger,” said Kurt Reiber, president
and CEO of the Freestore Foodbank. “Hungry children come to school at a
disadvantage to learn, perform and focus in class. We appreciate Fifth
Third Bank’s support as we work to give children the fuel they need to
grow healthy and strong. Together, we can solve hunger by getting food
to people who need it.”
The Bank kicked off its donation activities as part of activities to
mark Fifth Third Day – May 3 or 5/3 on the calendar. For more than 25
years, Fifth Third has used this date to recognize the contribution of
its employees, to thank its valued customers and to support the
community. Over the last eight years, in honor of Fifth Third Day, the
Bank has provided more than 8 million meals across the Midwest and
Southeast to fight hunger.
This year, Fifth Third partnered with 75 organizations across its
footprint to provide employee volunteer opportunities. Each region
identified needs in its communities and designed volunteer efforts to
support them. Some examples include:
-
Chicago employees packed meals in support of Blessings in a Backpack,
an organization that mobilizes communities, individuals, and resources
to provide food on the weekends for elementary school children across
America who might otherwise go hungry. Together, they provided 8,750
backpacks, which equals 35,000 meals, for children in need, as
well as another 427,655 meals through donations and shield
sales. -
Employees in Central Ohio worked with the Salvation Army to volunteer
at its Columbus location and support its LemonAiD stand projects where
“kids help kids” by having lemonade stands that donate proceeds to the
Salvation Army. In total, the region provided 209,526 meals.
The Salvation Army used 100% of the proceeds to help poverty-stricken
children by providing hot meals and other support programs. -
In Tennessee, employees worked on a mobile food pantry, providing both 41,600
meals and financial literacy resources. The region provided an
additional 34,835 meals through donations and shield sales. -
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., driver of NASCAR’s No. 17 Fifth Third Ford
Mustang, joined our North Carolina employees to inspect and sort food
for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. The team also stuffed
backpacks with nutritious snacks and supplies for students in local
afterschool programs, bringing the region’s total to 149,336
meals. -
Fifth Third employees across the Company purchased Shields of
Recognition to recognize colleagues, accounting for 393,479
meals.
Fifth Third’s Feeding Our Communities initiative is part of the Bank’s
work to improve lives. For more on Fifth Third’s corporate social
responsibility efforts, read our 2018
Corporate Social Responsibility report.
About Fifth Third
Fifth Third Bancorp is a diversified financial services company
headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the parent company of Fifth Third
Bank, an Ohio-chartered bank. As of March 31, 2019, Fifth Third had $168
billion in assets and operated 1,207 full-service banking centers and
2,559 ATMs with Fifth Third branding in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana,
Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, West Virginia, Georgia and North
Carolina. In total, Fifth Third provides its customers with access to
approximately 52,000 fee-free ATMs across the United States. Fifth Third
operates four main businesses: Commercial Banking, Branch Banking,
Consumer Lending and Wealth & Asset Management. Fifth Third is among the
largest money managers in the Midwest and, as of March 31, 2019, had
$394 billion in assets under care, of which it managed $44 billion for
individuals, corporations and not-for-profit organizations through its
Trust and Registered Investment Advisory businesses. Investor
information and press releases can be viewed at www.53.com.
Fifth Third’s common stock is traded on the Nasdaq® Global
Select Market under the symbol “FITB.” Fifth Third Bank was established
in 1858. Deposit and Credit products are offered by Fifth Third Bank.
Member FDIC.
Contacts
Danielle Jones (Media Relations)
danielle.jones@53.com
| 513-646-9244
