HOPE Inside Macon-Bibb began serving the people of Macon-Bibb County this month with four Credit and Money Management workshops to help people raise their credit scores and gain greater financial stability. Almost 50 people have already signed up for the initial workshops and begin their process to a higher credit rating, more savings, less debt, and a better understanding of budgeting.

HOPE Inside Macon-Bibb will be open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. beginning March 1 and will offer the Credit and Money Management Workshop at least four times per month. For information on how people can attend the Workshop or for more information on the different programs offered, call 478-741-9881.

At the initial three-hour Credit and Money Management workshops, Financial Wellbeing Coaches Shurnell James and Daquanis Harvey talked with people about how to budget their money, read a credit report, dispute and settle items on their credit report, pay off debt and save money, and rebuild their credit. This workshop also covered their rights as a consumer and how to make the most of them.

After attending the Credit & Money Workshop, participants  then choose to enroll in either the Credit Counseling Program or in a 700 Credit Score Communities cohort for more personal detailed instruction.

The Credit Counseling Program includes the Credit & Money Management Workshop, 700 Credit Score Communities classes, and 12 months of one-on-one counseling sessions with Operation HOPE’s Financial Wellbeing Coaches. It is designed to help people increase their savings, decrease their debt, create an individualized budget and work plan based on their income and credit report. The coaches conduct follow-up sessions with participants to help them achieve their financial goals. Those discussions help monitor progress through their developed plan, provide additional support, and answer questions people may have throughout the process. This program is great for someone looking to establish or increase their credit.

By joining a 700 Credit Score Communities cohort people will be part of a small group of like-minded individuals who are looking to improve their credit score. Participants of these cohorts receive individual, group and online support for up to 24 months. The program is comprised of four group education classes, an online personal finance course by Kaplan University, and on-going one-on-one counseling support. There is an application and interview process to join. It is tailored to help people move their credit scores from the range of 550 to 700 or better.

About the Operation HOPE, Macon-Bibb County Partnership
Operation HOPE is a global nonprofit, focused on delivering financial empowerment through financial literacy. Since 1992, the organization has promoted financial dignity in underserved communities. Through its core portfolios, the organization has provided youth and adult financial literacy, encouraged economic preparedness and digital empowerment, promoted homeownership, and assisted with foreclosure prevention to more than 2.6 million individuals, families, and small-business owners. It is currently focused on Project 5117, a multi-year initiative that will track and increase business role models for youth, boost credit scores for adults, and empower underserved communities, as a part of its “silver rights” mission to make free enterprise work for everyone.

Macon-Bibb County was introduced to Operation HOPE through its participation with the White House’s Strong Cities, Strong Communities initiative, and its participation in the 2015 Operation HOPE Global Forum. In mid-January, Macon-Bibb County was recognized and featured at the 2016 HOPE Global Forum in Atlanta, which focused on Reimagining the Global Economy: The Future of Inclusion. As part of the Forum, Macon-Bibb and partners were part of a panel discussing the need in our community to reach out and work with people on their knowledge and ability to stabilize their finances, and what those efforts will mean to the community as a whole. To read more about Macon-Bibb’s participation at the Forum and to view the panel discussion, click here.