FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jessica Love | 317-222-1221 | jlove@prosperityindiana.org
First Financial Supports Prosperity Indiana’s Growing A&O Network
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Prosperity Indiana is pleased to announce that First Financial Bank awarded the organization a $45,000 grant to expand the capacity and the impact of the Indiana Assets & Opportunity Network. This financial support will allow Prosperity Indiana to implement the goals of the A&O Network’s strategic plan, including advancing the community economic development field by delivering programming, training, and peer-to-peer networking for asset-building practitioners.
The Indiana A&O Network aims to improve connectivity between cross-sector and asset-building professionals; increase knowledge and use of best practices through participation in professional training; advance equity by prioritizing strategies that affect Indiana’s most vulnerable populations; and support partners in alleviating barriers to wealth through education, workforce development, and other asset-building strategies.
The Asset Funders Network defines asset building as “how individuals, families, and communities gather the resources that will move them towards economic well-being, for now and for years to come.”
The Indiana A&O Network, staffed by Prosperity Indiana’s new coalition coordinator, is working with a steering committee to provide responsive leadership to a segment of the field serving low- and moderate-income households, and especially households of color, that have been significantly impacted by the economic downturn.
“Our support for Prosperity Indiana adds to our work to help our clients and communities thrive, especially in low-to-moderate income neighborhoods,” said Roddell McCullough, chief corporate responsibility officer for First Financial Bank. “This funding will make a positive impact in areas such as affordable housing, financial empowerment and access to bank services, each of which is key as we focus on improving financial well-being in our communities.”
First Financial Bank and the First Financial Foundation take a strong leadership role in the community and made donations of more than $4 million in 2021 alone.
“At Prosperity Indiana, we have seen firsthand the commitments that First Financial Bank and the First Financial Foundation have made to improve the quality of life for the people and places they serve,” said Jessica Love, Prosperity Indiana’s executive director. “First Financial’s support in advancing the efforts of PI and the A&O Network to provide equitable access to social and economic opportunity are critical to supporting families looking to move up the economic ladder.”
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About First Financial Bancorp.
First Financial Bancorp. is a Cincinnati, Ohio based bank holding company. As of June 30, 2022, the Company had $16.2 billion in assets, $9.4 billion in loans, $12.3 billion in deposits and $2.1 billion in shareholders’ equity. The Company’s subsidiary, First Financial Bank, founded in 1863, provides banking and financial services products through its six lines of business: Commercial, Retail Banking, Investment Commercial Real Estate, Mortgage Banking, Commercial Finance and Wealth Management. These business units provide traditional banking services to business and retail clients. Wealth Management provides wealth planning, portfolio management, trust and estate, brokerage and retirement plan services and had approximately $3.0 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2022. The Company operated 135 full service banking centers as of June 30, 2022, primarily in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois, 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.
About the Indiana Assets & Opportunity Network
The Network creates learning opportunities for community leaders, advocates on policies that affect low-to-moderate income families, and builds capacity for organizations aimed to increase financial stability. It is co-led by Prosperity Indiana which is a member organization skilled at building vibrant communities and resilient families; and the Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute (ICAPI) which is a program of the Indiana Community Action Association, skilled in research, policy analysis, and advocacy. The Network is directed by a diverse steering committee to help establish program and policy focus. They meet bi-monthly to help identify funding sources, opportunities, and coalition partners.
About Prosperity Indiana
The Indiana Association for Community Economic Development d/b/a Prosperity Indiana builds a better future for our communities by providing advocacy, leveraging resources, and engaging an empowered network of members to create inclusive opportunities that build assets and improve lives. Since its founding in 1986, Prosperity Indiana’s network has grown to nearly 200 organizations, representing thousands of practitioners statewide from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
