In late February, Macon-Bibb County hosted the Chief Executive Officer of the Operation HOPE South Eastern Region, James Bailey, to meet with local leaders about the possibility of his program expanding into our community.
Operation HOPE is a leading global financial dignity nonprofit that has provided financial empowerment to more than 2.2 million people since 1992, and Macon-Bibb County is exploring how its model of financial empowerment can best service our community. In addition, Macon-Bibb would like to learn from the organization’s extensive work on teaching financial literacy to at-risk youth, credit score education and counseling, and supporting entrepreneurship through business mentorship and startup capital. Macon-Bibb was introduced to Operation HOPE model through its participation in the White House’s Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) initiative.
“We are looking to the Operation HOPE model to help coordinate and strengthen local resources so people can earn financial independence, whether through business development, individual and community credit initiatives, or financial education programs,” says Office of Small Business Affairs Director Dr. James Bumpus, who is coordinating this effort.
Those in attendance were given the chance to share with Mr. Bailey their unique insights on poverty in Macon-Bibb, available resources, current unmet needs, and their willingness to help people. According to Dr. Bumpus, Mr. Bailey stated that Macon-Bibb as a community is of great interest because it provides an opportunity to develop a mid-size city model for the work of Operation HOPE
Following the meeting held at Government Center, Mr. Bailey was given a tour of seven high poverty areas of the county: Tindall Heights, Unionville, Village Green, the Pines, Bloomfield, Houston Heights, and Second Street Corridor South.
Macon-Bibb delegation attends HOPE Global Forum
The relationship with Operation HOPE began in January when a twelve-member delegation from Macon-Bibb County and the community attended the Global Forum as a Co-Convening Partner. The Forum is an international convening of leaders to outline a vision for a modern global economy that includes all people. For more information about Operation HOPE, click here.
At the Forum, the delegation heard from experts on financial empowerment for those in the lowest income brackets, make connections with organizations that could help Macon-Bibb County enhance its work in this area, and meet with leaders from the public and private sector working to address financial literacy. To read more about the delegation’s attendance at the Forum, click here.
About the White House’s Strong Cities, Strong Communities Initiative
in Macon-Bibb County
On Thursday, January 16, 2014, the White House and the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced the expansion of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) Initiative to seven additional cities, including Macon-Bibb County.
As a participant, a federal inter-agency expert team is working with Macon-Bibb County, community organizations, local businesses, and philanthropic foundations to advance our vision for economic growth and development. The primary goal is to help Macon-Bibb more effectively invest existing resources, provide advice, and expertise in support of local priorities, better align federal programs and investments, and facilitate new partnerships and peer learning opportunities wherever possible.
President Obama established SC2 in 2011as an innovative and flexible program designed to strengthen local capacity, coordinate federal investments, and spark growth in economically distressed communities. Federal inter-agency expert teams have been deployed to work alongside city leadership, community organizations, local businesses and philanthropic foundations to support the cities’ visions for economic growth and development. The primary goal is to help cities more effectively invest existing resources, provide advice and expertise in support of local priorities, better align federal programs and investments, and facilitate new partnerships and peer learning opportunities wherever possible.
The SC2 Initiative was developed through engagement with mayors, Members of Congress, foundations, nonprofits and other community partners who are committed to addressing the challenges facing local governments as they work to create economic opportunity for all residents. For more information about the SC2 Teams involvement and goals for the new locations, click here. For more information about accomplishments of the initiative in the original pilot locations and policy insights that have surfaced as a result, please review the first SC2 Annual Report.