Regions Bank 2011 Annual Report Download - page 16

REGIONS 2011 ANNUAL REPORT14
Put people fi rst: We were quick to respond on
April 27 when one of the largest tornado out-
breaks in history carved massive swaths of
destruction across four of the states Regions
calls home: Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and
Mississippi. More than 300 people lost their lives,
and many more lost their homes. Within hours,
Regions contributed $1 million to the Ameri-
can National Red Cross Tornado Disaster Relief
Fund, and we quickly set up mobile ATMs so
people in the hardest hit areas would have
access to funds and all Regions Bank offi ces
began accepting donations from the public. In
addition, Regions associates contributed more
than $116,000 to help 107 of our colleagues
who suffered signifi cant losses from the storm.
We are ready to help in good times and bad.
Throughout the year, we rolled up our sleeves
to make life better in our communities. In total,
Regions associates volunteered more than
200,000 hours with more than 5,000 organi-
zations. Many of these hours were through our
“What a Difference a Day Makes” program, which
gives everyone a day off a year to volunteer.
Do what is right: Integrity and trust are at the
heart of our company, and our fair and respon-
sible banking practices show our strong com-
mitment to do what is right. We offer products
and services our customers need at fair prices.
We treat customers consistently in every phase
of the lending process, and we help them make
informed decisions about their banking options.
We remain committed to helping economically
challenged communities thrive.
As part of our fair and responsible banking
practices, we make sure people with disabilities
have access to banking. We make bank state-
ments available in Braille, enlarged type and
audio and offer sight checks for customers who
are blind or have low vision. For customers who
are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech dif-
fi culties, we have a dedicated TTY line, accept
Telecommunications Relay Service calls and
can provide a sign language interpreter upon
request.
Fair and responsible banking is not only about
people but also about where we live and
operate. Through Regions Timberland Group,
a pioneer in timberland investing, we manage in
excess of 1.6 million acres of timberland world-
wide in an economically, environmentally and
socially responsible manner. We maintain and
improve the health and productivity of these
timberlands in a way designed to minimize
impact to air, water, and wildlife while enhanc-
ing and sustaining the forests. The majority of
our forests are certifi ed under the American
Tree Farm System, Sustainable Forestry Initia-
tive and/or Forest Stewardship Council.
Focus on your customer: As unemployment
levels continue to be elevated and the housing
crisis lingers, our goal remains the same – to
ensure customers who encounter fi nancial dif-
fi culty know they have options.
In 2007, we launched an extensive Customer
Assistance Program for troubled borrowers well
before the full effects of the credit crisis were re-
alized. To date, we have restructured more than
$3.7 billion in mortgages and helped more than
42,000 homeowners remain in their homes.
Through the U.S. Treasury sponsored Home
Affordable Modifi cation Program for loans ser-
viced on behalf of Fannie Mae and Freddie
Mac, we have initiated 2,783 trial period modi-
fi cations for $417 million, and of those, 2,120
have been completed for $318 million.
We continue to lend money for housing, and in
2011, we originated almost 42,000 loans for the
purchase or refi nancing of homes, and more
than 15,000 of those loans were to low
- and
moderate-income borrowers and neighborhoods.