News Press Releases

'Creating Real Solutions.' See the Transformation Get Started

RF | October 16, 2023

The Regions Foundation and the YMCA are taking community support to a whole new level.

By Jeremy King | September 29, 2023

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / October 16, 2023 / It's not about meeting one need. This isn't just delivering one service.

It's about serving the whole person … the whole family … the whole community.

The Regions Foundation, a nonprofit funded primarily by Regions Bank, joined the YMCA of Greater Birmingham to break ground on a development that's designed to impact northeast Birmingham like nothing else before.

What's Happening:

The YMCA is using a major grant from the Regions Foundation, plus funding from additional community partners that joined the initiative, to deliver affordable housing, provide more educational support, and address health care needs - all at the Northeast Y's campus in Roebuck.

How it's Happening:

Not only is the Northeast Y getting renovated to include a new community resource center and increased early-learning opportunities, the Y is also taking an innovative approach toward additional needs. For example:

Nearly two dozen single-family homes will be built by Habitat for Humanity around the Northeast Y, creating a well-lit, walkable neighborhood.
Christ Health Center, a federally qualified health care provider, will have a clinic on-site with a focus on making health care more accessible. Christ Health's "sliding scale," fee-for-service option provides patient care, regardless of the patients' ability to pay.
The Y's 1st Class Pre-K learning program will be expanded, offering early learning opportunities for 54 children.
Impact Family Counseling will address mental health and wellness by providing outpatient counseling, mentoring and other services.

What they're Saying:

"This is about more than meeting a single need; it's about creating real solutions, bringing together affordable housing, health care, educational opportunities and more."
- Marta Self, executive director of the Regions Foundation

"This type of impact does not happen in a vacuum. This type of transformation can only happen through collaboration and partnership."
-Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin

"It's exciting to see this come to life. Our community, our partners and major donors believed in the vision and came together to transform Roebuck for future generations."
-Terri Harvill, chief social impact officer of the YMCA of Greater Birmingham

"We have to be the change that we want to see. The days of where we can talk - that's no longer going to get it. We are going to have to invest. So, I want to thank everyone who has invested in this vision."
-Jefferson County District 1 Commissioner Lashunda Scales

"We're not just rebuilding or renovating a building. We're here to build a brighter future. Today is not just about brick and mortar and this land. Today is about the soul of a community; it's about the countless lives that will be touched, the dreams that will be nurtured."
-Alicia Lumpkin-Whitfield, board chair for the Northeast YMCA

"I believe that, years from now, we will look back on today as the first day of a whole new, more prosperous chapter for communities in Northeast Birmingham."
-Marta Self

"On behalf of this grateful city, I want to thank you all for making this a reality. You're changing lives … You're literally improving the quality of life of our citizens … of our residents."
-Mayor Woodfin

In Summary:

Development and renovation work will begin immediately.

The impact will last for generations.

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.