CINCINNATI, May 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- First Financial
Bancorp (NASDAQ: FFBC) announces its 2016 Community Development
Report. It can be accessed at www.bankatfirst.com/community.
The report focuses on the five key areas for community development:
1. Access to banking services, 2. Lending in the community, 3.
Investing in the community, 4. Volunteerism, 5. Financial
education.
"At First Financial, we're proud to give back to the communities
where we live and work each day," said Roddell McCullough, First Financial's Director
of Community Development. "We take great pride in working
closely with our neighbors to help enhance the quality of life and
build stronger communities. From providing smart financial
solutions to investing in local initiatives, our associates are
deeply committed to helping our clients every step of the way."
First Financial's Community Development strategy includes a
focus on growing mortgage and small business lending, delivering
consistent service, making donations that support affordable
housing, economic development, neighborhood revitalization,
increasing volunteerism by associates and targeted marketing in all
of the communities First Financial serves. Some of the 2016 report
highlights are below.
Access to Bank Services
First Financial increased and
maintained access to financial services by opening and maintaining
banking centers in low- and moderate-income areas. At the end of
2016, 29.6 percent of locations within metropolitan counties and
25.5 percent of all First Financial banking centers were located in
low- or moderate-income demographic areas. We also strive to
continue to develop financial services and products that are
affordable and convenient to all community members, including Snap
Deposit, electronic bill pay and the BackPocket Prepaid Debit Card.
We are also proud to support local initiatives focused on helping
our neighbors who are unbanked or underbanked.
Lending in the Community
First Financial has developed
loan products and programs to attract new businesses and retain
current clients in low- and moderate-income areas. During 2016,
First Financial Bank provided support for a wide variety of
initiatives that addressed the needs of the low- and
moderate-income areas we serve. The bank committed more than
$70 million of financing to
businesses for the retention and creation of job opportunities and
housing through multi-family and other mixed-use developments.
Additionally, First Financial Bank is honored to be a preferred
SBA lender and is consistently recognized as one of the top SBA
lenders in Ohio. SBA Grow Loan
program lending for First Financial Bank totaled $9,272,000 in 2016.
Investing in the Community
First Financial continues
to invest in organizations located in low- and moderate-income
communities through investments, sponsorships and donations. First
Financial invested more than $1,216,000 into approximately 500 programs to
support the community. Some examples include $50,000 to the Regional Economic Development
Initiative, $25,000 to the Cincinnati
Center City Development Corporation, and $20,000 to the Catalytic Fund.
Volunteerism
The bank's goal is to build a stronger
culture of volunteerism at First Financial and join our neighbors
on their path to success. To show commitment to this important
community endeavor, First Financial offers paid time off to
full-time and part-time associates for volunteer activities during
scheduled work hours. In 2016, our 1,500 associates donated 5,700
hours of paid time off for volunteer activities.
Financial Education
First Financial focuses on
contributing to and supporting organizations that provide financial
education training and program support for the economically
disadvantaged. Bank workshops and offerings, include ElderCare
Financial Awareness, FDIC MoneySmart, School Bank Program, and
Visa® Practical Money Skills.
For more information about the Community Development Report,
visit www.bankatfirst.com/community
About First Financial Bancorp
First Financial Bancorp
is a Cincinnati, Ohio based bank
holding company. As of March 31,
2017, the Company had $8.5
billion in assets, $5.8
billion in loans, $6.5 billion
in deposits and $880.1 million in
shareholders' equity. The Company's subsidiary, First
Financial Bank, founded in 1863, provides banking and financial
services products through its four lines of business: Commercial
and Private Banking, Retail Banking, Investment Commercial Real
Estate and Commercial Finance. These business units provide
traditional banking services to business and retail clients.
Commercial and Private Banking includes First Financial Wealth
Management, which provides wealth planning, portfolio management,
trust and estate, brokerage and retirement plan services and had
approximately $2.5 billion in assets
under management as of March 31,
2017. The Company's primary operating markets are located in
Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky where it operates 103 banking
centers, while the Commercial Finance business lends into targeted
industry verticals on a nationwide basis. Additional
information about the Company, including its products, services and
banking locations is available at www.bankatfirst.com.
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-financial-bancorp-releases-community-development-report-300460796.html
SOURCE First Financial Bancorp