Personal & Commercial Banking, Credit Cards, Loans & Investments

[Music]

We're in a unique situation here at Truist.

In COVID-19 our world easily faded away.

When you think about it all we really got is each other. That's one of the things that we can learn out of this.

[Music]

Really it was just a regular call. He needed help getting onto his online banking.

As he was struggling, I was asking him was he okay.

He said, "Well I fell off the ladder trying to put a basketball hoop for my son."

His leg is in pain.

He had told me that he had had some surgeries on it and he shared with me that his son was special needs and that his son was kind of just like waiting for the basketball hoop.

It touched me, kind of almost felt like I was in pain.

He was in Georgia. I was here in North Carolina.

I wanted to go there and put up the basketball court for him myself. I wanted to go finish the job.

I got in touch with Michael Brown in the client's hometown.

I knew that everything was going to be okay because he was so eager.

The situation, I mean how could I walk away from that?

I felt there was no other choice. I went over to his house and climbed up in the attic and got the bolts through.

In that moment it was like the fog of COVID-19 lifted.

On my way that morning I'd stopped and got a little basketball.

He jumped up and he ran over there to the basketball and started you know throwing the ball up.

And all the time during this Paul's iming me and keeping up with it.

[Music]

Made me proud to work for this company our purpose here at Truist is to inspire and build better lives and communities and you can see it all around this company.

[Music]

If Michael Brown were standing here right now, I might just have to forget COVID protocols and just give him a hug.

I mean we formed a bond during that. I didn't know Paul before that but I always consider Paul my friend now.

I couldn't change the fact that he broke his hip. I couldn't change COVID-19. I could put up a basketball hoop.

[Music]

What seems so light and small for us can make such a difference in another person's life.

You may not be able to do a lot of things but do what you can.

People are so worried about me they said that

why are you opening so many daycares?

Are you crazy?

And I said, yes, I love being crazy

because kids need daycare.

(upbeat music)

I would do anything to keep the children at the daycare

and my staff a job.

I would do anything.

(upbeat music)

One day I received a phone call. It was Scott from Truist.

I thought about this meeting that we had

about some of our Truist partnerships that we have

to help community, small businesses like Rashida's.

We got our partner on the phone,

put a little packet together, application,

and lo and behold about a month later, we got an email.

(bright music)

Rashida is awesome, Rashida is driven, she is inspiring.

But she was passed up and she shouldn't have been.

And that was an opportunity for us as Truist

to help this small business.

She's gonna do amazing things.

And it's all about her drive

and those little people out there

that are gonna be our leaders one day.

(gentle music)

The world would look awesome, beautiful and prospering

if we have many people like Scott, we need a lot of Scotts,

a lot of Scotts.

(gentle music)

Lianne Wang:

To be able to lend a hand and to be able to care for others. It’s something that makes your life more meaningful. I want to set a good example for my children, as my mother has done for me.

I can’t expect somebody to do something that I wouldn’t do myself. I’ll be nervous, but my sister will be right next to me, and our mother will be watching, guiding us down.

Speaker 2:

Ready to rappel.

Lianne Wang:

I am the business banking leader in the greater Washington region for Truist. I’m looking forward to speaking to the students on today’s session.

I remember working with a family that was new to the country, like we were, and opening up their first checking account. The child was doing the interpretation for the parents and just getting flashbacks into that’s what my parents felt when they first got here.

We didn’t have a lot growing up, but whatever we had, we always shared with our neighbors, with our family. It was second nature to help other people.

We are going to New Hope Housing’s Mondloch Place. This is one of the shelters and homes that New Hope Housing provides.

Jan Sacharko:

It’s a very simple solution, sometimes, to homelessness: Getting people into housing that’s appropriate and affordable, without giving them a whole bunch of hoops to jump through, without making all sorts of rules that are easy to break so we can kick them out again, and give them a chance.

Lianne Wang:

Financial education is so important at every level, not just the young kids growing up, that’s super important, but as an adult.

I would imagine that some of our guests here never had that type of financial education or financial literacy.

To have someone who was sleeping on the streets move into a permanent home, that’s the ultimate goal, is to have a home that you can call your own, have a bed that you can sleep in, where you’re not out in the weather, getting snowed on, getting rained on.

We started talking about this event last year. At the time, it sounded really exciting. It’s Over The Edge. We’re going to rappel off of a building. We’re gonna raise so much money. I jumped in with open arms saying, “Yes, I will do it.” Even though I am deathly afraid of heights, but it’s a great opportunity.

I feel like I’m gonna cry. Oh my God, I’m so nervous.

I was in my third year in college. My mother got ill. She was in Taiwan. We were there for about two weeks. And I made the decision to come back to school because I didn’t want to disappoint her. I said goodbye, came back, and two weeks later we got the call that she had passed.

Li-Ping Hwang:

I couldn’t be at Charlottesville to comfort her. I know my mom want me to take care of my brother and sister. And I try my best to take care of them whenever I can. I think I did a pretty good job about it. I hope.

Lianne Wang:

Caring is something innate for me. You care about your children, your family, your friends, your teammates, your community. That’s part of my DNA.

Li-Ping Hwang:

Lianne is 100% of my mom when I see her. I can see her strong will coming from my mom. I see that love, compassion is a part of her. When she put her mind to it, she can accomplish anything.

Lianne’s son:

Go, Mommy, go.

Lianne Wang:

My fear of heights is nothing compared to being homeless. If I can just help one person by doing this, I feel like I’ve done my job.

I’m ready. I’m ready.

Jan Sacharko:

Ending homelessness is not something that we do alone. There are a lot of community partners and people involved. And with this event, thanks to Lianne, all of our rappelers, our sponsors, our partners, we’ve already raised over 215,000 and still counting. And we are just truly grateful for every single one of you.

Lianne Wang:

Oh, my god.

High five.

I feel great. I did it! Yeah.