The results are in, and voters have chosen the nonprofit North Little
Rock Community Farm of North Little Rock, Ark., as the winner of the Regions
Bank “What a Difference a Day Makes” contest.
Students work in the North Little Rock Community Farm. The farm supplies fruits, vegetables and eggs to a wide variety of people in surrounding areas. (Photo: Business Wire)
For receiving more votes than any other nonprofit featured in the
contest, the North Little Rock Community Farm will receive 100 volunteer
hours from Regions associates and $5,000 from the company. The second
and third-place finishers in the contest – the Indianapolis Neighborhood
Housing Partnership of Indianapolis, Ind., and Branches, Inc. of Miami,
Fla., respectively – will receive 50 volunteer service hours from
Regions associates and $1,000 from the company. In addition, all other
nonprofits featured in the vote will each receive 50 volunteer service
hours from Regions associates and $500 from the company.
The four-week online vote concluded at 5 p.m. CDT on Friday. The North
Little Rock Community Farm received 18,397 votes, securing its
first-place finish. The Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership
captured 15,785 votes. Branches, Inc. received 10,853 votes. Nearly
73,000 votes were cast between the 19 nonprofits highlighted.
“Regions Bank believes in supporting our communities not only through
financial assistance but also by giving our time and our talents to
organizations that are making a difference,” said Rick Swagler, head of
External Affairs for Regions Financial Corporation. “Through the online
contest, we have been able to share the mission of these nonprofits with
a broader audience, and we have encouraged members of the public to show
their support by voting for their favorites. The work these nonprofits
do has a real impact on people in our communities, and Regions is
honored to help support their efforts.”
The nonprofits are all located in communities served by Regions Bank
throughout the South, Midwest and Texas. Each nonprofit is featured
in an online profile under the “Make a Difference” tab on www.regionsbanknews.com.
The contest is one component of Regions’ ongoing “What a Difference a
Day Makes” program, a company-wide initiative in which Regions provides
each of its associates a paid day off each year to volunteer in their
community. Leaders from each of the 19 markets Regions serves selected a
nonprofit to be highlighted and to compete in the vote.
Nonprofits were chosen based on a variety of factors, including
community impact and the ability to effectively use the volunteer hours
and financial support provided by Regions and its associates.
The North Little Rock Community Farm serves as both a school farm and a
community garden. It was founded and is managed by EAST (Environmental
and Spatial Technology) Initiative students at North Little Rock High
School’s Freshman Campus. Students work with adult leadership to manage
the garden and share healthy foods with people across the community.
“The North Little Rock Community Farm is a great example of how a group
of students with a tremendous vision can make lives better,” said Lynn
Wright, Arkansas area president for Regions Bank. “The determination of
these young people to serve the community is truly a gift. Regions Bank
is proud to award 100 volunteer hours and $5,000 to the North Little
Rock Community Farm so the students’ garden – and their vision – can
continue to grow.”
With the grand prize, the North Little Rock Community Farm expects to
improve its garden facility and share food with additional neighbors in
need.
“This contest has been a fantastic opportunity for the North Little Rock
Community Farm to share its story,” said K.J. Kite, North Little Rock
High School EAST Facilitator. “We plan to build a shed for our garden
and take our farm mobile to serve surrounding communities identified as
food deserts. I cannot begin to explain how the contest has ignited our
community and our kids. We are so grateful to Regions for taking an
interest not just in our community, but in all communities.”
In 2013, Regions associates reported more than 28,000 community service
hours provided to a wide variety of organizations as part of “What a
Difference a Day Makes.”
About Regions Financial Corporation
Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $118 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, mortgage, and insurance products and services. Regions
serves customers in 16 states across the South, Midwest and Texas, and
through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates approximately 1,700
banking offices and 2,000 ATMs. Additional information about Regions and
its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com.
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