First Financial gives back to the community

First Financial Bank and Associates Give Over $3.5 million and 8,900 Volunteer Hours to Local Communities

Feb. 22, 2021 - First Financial Bank (Nasdaq: FFBC) and its associates responded to a difficult year in 2020 by finding resourceful ways to help communities served by the bank, ultimately giving over $3.5 million in financial contributions and more than 8,900 hours of volunteer service.

“We are proud to be making a positive difference in our communities, especially in light of the struggles we all shared last year,” said Roddell McCullough, director of Community Development for First Financial Bank. “Our strategic intent is to be woven into the communities we serve. In 2020 and continuing into this year, we are working to understand the needs of our clients and communities so we can offer financial resources to help make lives better.”

While First Financial’s associates were generous with their time in the community last year, volunteering required a different approach because of COVID-19, the need for social distancing, and limitations on available in-person volunteer opportunities. They often adjusted by switching to virtual volunteering, which allowed them to help organizations outside of their immediate neighborhoods, and in other parts of the First Financial Bank footprint of Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois.

About First Financial Bancorp.

First Financial Bancorp. is a Cincinnati, Ohio based bank holding company. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had $16.0 billion in assets, $9.9 billion in loans, $12.2 billion in deposits and $2.3 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 December 31, 2020. The Company operated 143 full service banking centers as of December 31, 2020, primarily in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky, while the Commercial Finance business lends into targeted industry verticals on a nationwide basis.