River Region United Way has a new home and this will allow them to provide an even greater impact on the community.

Made possible through Regions Bank, the Zelda Court office will serve as the permanent location in less than a month.

Prompted by rising lease rates, the United Way began the process of looking for new, permanent office space late last year. They found the Regions-owned foreclosed property on Zelda Court and were presented an offer by the bank River Region United Way president and CEO Jimmy Hill said was "too good to refuse.

"The reason we're here today is to thank Regions Bank for their benevolence for the gift they've helped the United Way attain," he said. "This building is our permanent home. We can not be happier about it. But the significance of it is that it will allow us to put more dollars back into the community to help those people who need help."

The River Region United Way serves nearly 135,000 people in Autauga, Elmore, Lowndes, Macon and Montgomery counties. When combining the purchase price offered by Regions Bank, along with costs to make necessary cosmetic refurbishments to the facility in order to bring it up to code, the RRUW investment should be fully recouped in 27 months, without an increase in their monthly budget.

Rather than continue under RRUW's previous lease arrangement at their current offices downtown, the facility will be paid for in about two years, resulting in a cost savings of about $190,000 over the next five years.

"We've had a long history of partnering with and supporting the United Way through contributions and volunteerism," said Michael Hart, Montgomery president for Regions Bank

Hill said the primary obligation of the River Region United Way is to be good stewards of the assets the community "entrusts to us.