Community Connection
Message from the President
We are all in
this together
A bank’s connection to the community is one of the
strongest links it can forge. Regardless of how big a bank
may be, it is the communities they serve that determine
its success. The businesses and people that make up the
neighborhoods surrounding each Fifth Third banking center
is the foundation that fuels the growth of that center. The
bank then in turn supports that community with financial
and human services that creates a
stable prosperous core for people who
live there. Whether it is small business
loans, mortgages or checking products,
everyone uses the bank to reach for
better tomorrow’s. Banks and communi-
ties count on each other. We are all in
this together.
In Detroit we have all suffered through
difficult times in the past couple of years.
No one has been immune to the hard-
Fifth Third E-Bus returns to Detroit
ships of an ailing economy and a belea-
guered automotive industrial base, not
David Girodat
the least of which have been the banks. By Loretta Humphrey-Cruz
We are each reaching down and pulling ourselves up to face
a new day of challenges and put one foot in front of the other
as we walk the path back to progress. We are facing a new
horizon of a transformed auto industry, new city govern-
ment and a robust business community that will create jobs
T
he Fifth Third Homeownership
Mobile will be coming back
into the Southeastern Michigan
market in August 2009. The
and opportunities for our city. The alignment of all of those
E-Bus is a 40-foot bus that is retrofit-
entities is what will provide the strength to push forward
ted with a bank of computers, Internet
even while we are staring down unemployment that leads
connectivity and a section for private
the nation and more economic landmines in the road ahead.
consultation as needed. The purpose of
There is one thing to note about this broad based recession.
the E-Bus has been to assist first-time
We are all in this together.
homebuyers in purchasing a home and
to provide homeownership counseling,
As we search for signs for optimism we can point to in-
education and follow-up evaluation and
novation in healthcare, alternative fuels and the industry that
assistance. This year, as a result of the
built this great city, automotive. We can look to our universi-
current economic environment, the pri-
ties to prepare the next generation of workers who will seize
mary focus of the bus is to be a resource
upon these new opportunities and add growth to the list of
center for the community.
terms we use to describe southeast Michigan. New indus-
tries like filmmaking offer the diversification that is sorely
The focus of the 2009 E-Bus pro-
needed to realize the potential that exists in our region.
gram is to establish a partnership with
More important, though, is the spirit of cooperation that is
community organizations, non-profit
budding as leaders of all stripes come to a very poignant
agencies, city and municipal depart-
realization. We are all in this together.
ments and citizens to help community
receiving end of a pink slip. Many have how to sign up for assistance from ser-
residents understand and gain access
fallen off the unemployment rolls which vice organizations in Metro Detroit.
At Fifth Third Bank we are committed to Detroit. In the
to resources and information to help im-
paint a distorted picture of the numbers
past five years we have built five new banking centers in the
Some of the organizations that will
prove their quality of life right where they
and those who really need help.
city. They are all working hard to connect with their commu-
be participating in this year’s E-Bus tour
are – in their neighborhoods.
nities. We have worked with non-profits to help stabilize our
Not only that, the gap between the are the City of Detroit Human Services
neighborhoods. We are aggressively pursuing relationships
Since 2004, the E-Bus, along with
sources of information and the people Department, Wayne County Health
with small businesses because we know that it is the small
the cooperation of local area non-profit
who really need it is so broad that many Department, Detroit’s Workplace, The
business that creates sustainable change for a community
organizations, has been a tool to assist
people routinely find themselves con- Heat and Warmth Fund, Fifth Third’s
in distress. Fifth Third is partnering with the government to
people in obtaining their first home, re-
founded by a labyrinth of red tape when Neighborhood Impact Program, Youth-
bring SBA loan programs to Detroit. Next month we will take
ceiving grants toward repairing their
trying to obtain what they need from ville Detroit and Focus: HOPE. Repre-
to the streets with the Fifth Third E-Bus to bring financial ser- home, work toward cleaning up their
community agencies and service provid- sentatives from these organizations will
vices, education and human services to the neighborhoods credit and has been instrumental in as-
ers. More often than not, all most people be on hand to answer questions about
of Detroit. And we are reaching out to our customers to let sisting un-banked and underserved in-
need is a little clarity. the services they provide. The bus will
them know that if they are facing an interruption of income dividuals in learning the advantages of
This year, Fifth Third Bank will be
include such resources as free credit
event in their lives it does not mean they necessarily have to opening and maintaining savings and
partnering with local area community
reports, tips on interviewing for a job, re-
default on loans with the bank. We are reaching out to our checking accounts.
agencies, and city and county offices
sources for women in need of appropri-
communities because there is one thing we are very sure of
Many residents who may benefit
to bring city of Detroit residents impor-
ate attire for job interviews, backpacks
in these uncertain times. We are all in this together.
from the 2009 E-Bus tour. The E-Bus
tant information and resources that will
and school supplies for children. Also,
will go into the neighborhoods to assist
make a real difference in helping them
as in years past, the bus will continue
people. Underlying the economic data
manage challenging economic situa-
to provide the opportunity to receive
that is regularly broadcasted, the Detroit
tions they may be facing.
first-time homebuyer counseling, finan-
cial literacy counseling, and resources
job market has been severely impacted
The focus of the bus this year in-
to obtain comprehensive budget coun-
David F. Girodat
eliminating scores of jobs in the metro
cludes, but will not be limited to, assist-
seling. Check the Michigan FrontPage
President, Fifth Third Bank,
area. More people than ever in recent
ing people in finding resources for career
Community Connections next month for
history have found themselves on the
Eastern Michigan
retraining, healthcare for children, and
the schedule of events.
6 The Michigan FrontPage • July 10, 2009
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