On Thursday, May 12, Macon-Bibb County leaders joined Operation HOPE Founder and Chairman John Hope Bryant to ceremonially celebrate the opening of HOPE Inside Macon, which is located at the Buck Melton Center (150 Sessions Drive). The celebration at the Center was part of a series of events over two days, to introduce Operation HOPE to the Macon-Bibb community, and for people to learn more about the services and early successes of the initiative.
The event featured Mayor Robert A. B. Reichert, Operation HOPE Founder and CEO John Hope Bryant, Macon-Bibb Economic Opportunity Council Executive Director Sarita Hill, Operation HOPE Southeast President Louis Negron, and 60 students from the Head Start early childhood education program. Following the speakers, an oversized credit card was cut up to symbolize the people that will be able to use the services to get out of debt and stabilize their finances.
Since it opened in February 2016, the Financial Well-Being Coaches have served 99 people at 16 Financial Management Workshops. Seventy-seven people have been enrolled in one-on-one intensive credit counseling sessions to help them raise their credit scores.
About HOPE Inside Macon-Bibb
HOPE Inside Macon-Bibb began serving local residents in February with Credit and Money Management workshops to help people raise their credit scores and gain greater financial stability. Dozens of people signed up for the initial workshops and began the process to higher credit ratings, more savings, less debt, and a better understanding of budgeting. Learn more about the Credit Counseling Program here.
HOPE Inside Macon-Bibb is located at the Buck Melton Center, and is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. The Credit and Money Management Workshop is offered at least four times per month. For information on programs and services, call 478-741-9881.
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 initiative, Strong Cities, Strong Communities, and its participation in the 2015 HOPE Global Forums hosted by Operation HOPE. In mid-January, Macon-Bibb County was recognized and featured at the 2016 HOPE Global Forums | Annual Meeting in Atlanta, which focused on Reimagining the Global Economy: The Future of Inclusion. The Macon-Bibb contingent 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.
For more information on Operation HOPE, click here.
Follow Operation HOPE on Facebook and Twitter: @OperationHOPE.
Follow John Hope Bryant on Facebook and Twitter: @johnhopebryant.
Credit Counseling Program
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.
At the initial three-hour Credit and Money Management workshops, Financial Wellbeing Coaches Shurnell James and Daquanis Harvey talk 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 covers 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.
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.