Philadelphia, Pa.; September 5, 2019 – M&T Bank and Operation HOPE have extended their partnership to support financial empowerment in underserved communities with a new HOPE Inside office at M&T’s Oxford Circle branch located at 6500 Castor Avenue.
HOPE Inside M&T Bank Philadelphia is now providing credit and money management and homeownership education through workshops and one-on-one coaching. Programs and services are available to individuals in the community regardless of whether they are M&T Bank clients. M&T Bank is providing the office space free of charge to Operation HOPE.
“We are committed to supporting the Greater Philadelphia community, and we are pleased to partner with Operation HOPE to provide financial literacy coaching and education at no cost to the residents of this community,” said Bernie Shields, Philadelphia Regional President, M&T Bank.
M&T recently announced a $9 million investment to further enhance its customer experience by redesigning 17 branches throughout the greater Philadelphia region. M&T is also the leading Small Business Administration lender in the Philadelphia district.
HOPE Inside, a unique financial empowerment model created by Operation HOPE to provide no-cost financial literacy coaching and education to participants through the support of financial and corporate partners, currently stands at more than 130 locations across the country. Core programming includes credit and money management, homeownership, and small business development.
“Our vision is to create a stronger, more inclusive economy through financial empowerment – and financial dignity,” said Operation HOPE Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, John Hope Bryant. “We are proud to partner with M&T Bank to bring meaningful impact to the residents of this community and beyond. Think of the difference our programs make in people’s lives as they improve their FICO scores by 100 points or more. Think about the impact on families and communities as more people and more local businesses succeed. And consider the new investments and jobs that come to communities where people are financially secure.”
The existing M&T Bank and Operation HOPE partnership includes a HOPE Inside office in Baltimore, which opened in June 2017 and has served 948 clients to date.
HOPE Inside clients are equipped with the fundamentals to build their own businesses, raise their FICO scores, buy homes, or simply make better decisions with the money they have. The HOPE Financial Wellbeing Coach provides financial education to help individuals better understand banking products, budget wisely, minimize debt, save, and invest in their futures. Clients learn the basics of making a budget, how to read a credit report, and what they can do to correct errors that may negatively affect credit ratings. The coaching also covers the client’s rights as a consumer and helps with understanding how to make the most of them.
In 27 years, Operation HOPE has served more than 4 million individuals and directed over $3.2 billion in economic activity into disenfranchised communities—impacting 1,467 U.S. cities and towns.
About M&T Bank
M&T Bank Corporation is a financial holding company headquartered in Buffalo, New York. M&T’s principal banking subsidiary, M&T Bank, operates banking offices in New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. Trust-related services are provided by M&T’s Wilmington Trust-affiliated companies and by M&T Bank.
About Operation HOPE
Since 1992, Operation HOPE has been moving America from civil rights to “silver rights” with the mission of making free enterprise and capitalism work for the underserved—disrupting poverty for millions of low and moderate-income youth and adults across the nation. Through its community uplift model, HOPE Inside, Operation HOPE supports disenfranchised communities—turning check cashing customers into banking customers, renters into homeowners, small business dreamers into small business owners, minimum wage workers into living wage consumers, and uncertain disaster victims into financially empowered disaster survivors.
© 2019 M&T Bank. Member FDIC
M&T Bank Media Contact:
Philip Hosmer
410-916-0790
phosmer@mtb.com
Operation HOPE Media Contact:
Caryn Anderson
(404) 941-2919
caryn.anderson@operationhope.org