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Funds help ensure hunger-free holidays across the Sunbelt Region BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Dec. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- BBVA Compass announced today that its corporate holiday initiative totaled over $175,000 in donations to both Feeding America and twenty-three of Feeding America's network food banks located within the seven states that comprise the BBVA Compass Sunbelt Region. The BBVA Compass holiday initiative included company holiday cards which pledged support to Feeding America, employee volunteer initiatives in food banks across its footprint, as well as corporate and employee-driven monetary food bank donations. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091223/DA30299) "The effect of the worldwide economic crisis has been widespread, impacting communities around the world and affecting people from all areas of life and classes of society," said Jose Maria Garcia Meyer, BBVA Country Manager- U.S. and Chairman of BBVA Compass. "At BBVA Compass, being a good corporate citizen is imbedded in our business model, which is founded on the vision that we work for a better future for people, ensuring that the communities where we live, work and serve are healthy in every sense of the word. That is why we are proud to support the work of Feeding America and its network of food banks. The valuable service they provide is particularly relevant during this holiday season when so families are in need." According to Feeding America (http://www.feedingamerica.org/), its network members supply food to more than twenty five million Americans each year, including nine million children and three million seniors. Serving the entire United States, more than two hundred member food banks support 63,000 agencies that address hunger in all of its forms. The contributions from BBVA Compass supported the following food banks in Feeding America's network: ALABAMA ARIZONA United Way Community Food Bank, Desert Mission Food Bank, Phoenix Birmingham St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance, Phoenix Food Bank of North Alabama, United Food Bank, Phoenix Huntsville Community Food Bank Inc., Tucson Bay Area Food Bank, Mobile Montgomery Area Food Bank, Montgomery CALIFORNIA COLORADO Second Harvest Food Bank, Riverside Food Bank of the Rockies, Denver Second Harvest Food Bank, Stockton FLORIDA NEW MEXICO Second Harvest Food Bank of North Florida, Roadrunner Food Bank, Jacksonville Albuquerque TEXAS Capital Area Food Bank of Texas Inc., Austin Southeast Texas Food Bank, Beaumont Food Bank of Corpus Christi Inc., Corpus Christi West Texas Food Bank, El Paso North Texas Food Bank, Dallas/Fort Worth Houston Food Bank, Houston South Texas Food Bank, Laredo South Plains Food Bank, Lubbock Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley Inc., McAllen San Antonio Food Bank, San Antonio As a member of the BBVA Group, BBVA Compass is firmly committed to the Group's ambitious community programs, which have become a reference point for community action. In each community where BBVA has a presence, it works to identify opportunities that address local needs, developing unique solutions that create a better future for people. ABOUT BBVA COMPASS BBVA Compass is a Sunbelt-based financial institution that operates 748 branches including 401 in Texas, 92 in Alabama, 66 in California, 77 in Arizona, 45 in Florida, 36 in Colorado and 22 in New Mexico. BBVA Compass is the 15th largest U.S. commercial bank based on deposit market share and ranks among the largest banks in Texas (4th), Alabama (3rd) and Arizona (5th). Additional information concerning BBVA Compass can be found on our website http://www.bbvacompass.com/. BBVA Compass is a subsidiary of Compass Bancshares, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of BBVA (NYSE:BBVA) (MAD: BBVA). BBVA is a financial services group with more than $785 billion in total assets, 48 million clients, 7,600 branches and approximately 105,000 employees in more than 30 countries. BBVA ranks among the top seven largest financial institutions in the world based on market capitalization and 20th in Global Finance magazine's list of the "World's 50 Safest Banks" for 2009. BBVA provides its customers around the world with a full range of financial services, including commercial and wholesale banking, retail banking services, consumer loans, mortgages, credit cards, securities brokerage, wealth management, pension plan management and insurance. The BBVA Group maintains a leadership position in Spain, Mexico, Latin America and the Sunbelt Region of the United States as well as operations in China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Editor's Note: BBVA Compass is a trade name of Compass Bank and a trademark of Compass Bancshares, Inc. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091223/DA30299 http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: BBVA Compass CONTACT: Ed Bilek, External Communications of BBVA Compass, +1-205-297-3331, Web Site: http://www.bbvacompass.com/ http://www.feedingamerica.org/

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