First Financial Bank (Nasdaq: FFBC) and the First Financial Foundation have provided $42,500 in grants to organizations in Northwest Indiana, teaming up with community groups to create positive change in the areas of workforce development and education, and neighborhood development, with a particular emphasis on low-income communities. Throughout Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois, First Financial’s 2023 Annual Grant Campaign is providing funding to 66 organizations.
“Our work to help communities thrive and grow often takes the form of collaboration with strong local organizations and projects such as these, and I’m confident that our work together will deliver a powerful lift to the neighborhoods, towns and cities we serve,” said Roddell McCullough, chief corporate responsibility officer for First Financial Bank.
In Northwest Indiana, First Financial provided grants to Gary Community Partnership Corporation, Greater Hammond Community Services, Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Indiana, HomesteadCS in Lafayette, Junior Achievement of Chicago – Northwest Indiana Chapter, and Meals on Wheels of Northwest Indiana.
“HomesteadCS is so grateful for the continued partnership and support that we receive from First Financial Foundation,” said Marie Morse, executive director. “As the affordable housing crisis continues, we have found that our financial education and housing counseling are even more important to help keep families in their homes. We would not be able to continue offering those services for free without the help of great partners, like First Financial Foundation.”
With a total of $510,000 being awarded, this is the foundation’s largest grant campaign to date. First Financial is achieving even greater impact by including external funding from CREA, a low-income housing tax credit organization, in addition to funding from the bank’s Foundation.
First Financial recently completed its Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) for the period 2018-2023, achieving 192 percent of its goals in multiple categories, with almost $3.3 billion in mortgage lending, small business lending, community development lending and investments, philanthropy and marketing. In 2022 alone, the bank and the foundation provided over $4 million in community donations.
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Pictured are (l to r): Eric Evans, Keenan Yancey, Harry Langbehn, and Misty De La Cruz of First Financial Bank.
