Fifth Third Bank and Employees Provide More Than 1.7 Million Meals to Fight Hunger Across 10 states

Hundreds of Fifth Third Bank employees spent the day volunteering at local food pantries. Hundreds more (in photo) spent the day assembling thousands of backpacks of food that were later given to Chicago school children who face food insecurities.
Hundreds of Fifth Third Bank employees spent the day volunteering at local food pantries. Hundreds more (in photo) spent the day assembling thousands of backpacks of food that were later given to Chicago school children who face food insecurities.

Fifth Third Bank and Employees Provide More Than 1.7 Million Meals to Fight Hunger Across 10 states

Fifth Third Bank’s annual “Feeding Our Communities” initiative provided more than 1.7 meals this past May to fight hunger, surpassing the Bank’s goal for the second straight year. The month-long effort included more than 4,000 hours volunteered by employees to support individuals and communities across the Bank’s 10-state footprint.

According to Feeding America, 41.2 million Americans – including nearly 13 million children – live in households that lack the means to get enough nutritious food on a regular basis. As a result, they struggle with hunger at some time during the year. Food-insecure families, defined as those who have limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe food, exist in every county in America.

Statistics like these inspire the Bank to make a difference in the communities that it serves.

“City by city, region by region, food pantry by food pantry, Fifth Third employees and our partners work to address critical hunger-related needs in our communities, and to offer stability and dignity to those in need around us, especially children,” said Greg Carmichael, chairman, president and CEO. “Through initiatives like Feeding Our Communities, we continue to demonstrate our commitment to improving the lives of our customers and communities.”

Through financial contributions and volunteer activities, Greater Cincinnati employees provided close to 130,000 meals to those in need. Additional donations through the Bank’s Community and Economic Development (CED) department brought the total for the region to nearly 145,000 meals.

“Every day, over 87,400 kids are among the 281,000 people in the Tristate area who are at risk for hunger,” said Kurt Reiber, president and CEO of the Freestore Foodbank. “Hungry children come to school at a disadvantage to learn, perform and focus in class. We appreciate the support of Fifth Third as we work to give children the fuel they need to grow healthy and strong. Together, we can solve hunger by getting food to people who need it.”

Fifth Third partnered with more than 85 organizations across its footprint to provide employee volunteer opportunities in May. Each region identified needs in their local communities and designed volunteer efforts to support. In Chicago, we provided more than 179,000 meals for the hungry, just over 44,000 through employee donations and volunteerism. Donations through CED accounted for the remainder. Employees engaged in activities included sorting, inventorying and packing meals with the Northern Illinois Food Banks in Geneva, Deer Park and Rockford, Illinois. They also hosted a backpack assembly project at Navy Pier that placed where meals were placed in 1,000 backpacks for Blessings in a Backpack, a nonprofit that provides food to children who are often dependent on school food programs for their meals and nutrition.

The Bank kicked off its donation activities during the first week of May as part of activities to mark Fifth Third Day, or 5/3 on the calendar. For more than 25 years, Fifth Third has used this special date to recognize the contribution of its employees, to thank its valued customers and to support the community. Over the last seven years, in honor of Fifth Third Day, the Bank has provided more than 5 million meals across the Midwest and Southeast as a way to fight hunger.

The Bank’s Feeding Our Communities initiative is part of the Bank’s work to improve lives.

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