In support of a stronger North St. Louis County, Regions
Bank and Operation HOPE announced plans for a HOPE
Inside location that will provide no-cost financial education and
credit and money management counseling to underserved residents in the
St. Louis area.
Bonita Williams (pictured) brings more than 10 years of experience to her new role as a HOPE Inside counselor at Regions locations in North St. Louis County. (Photo: Business Wire)
“Helping people and families understand and manage their finances makes
our communities stronger,” said Mike Hart, Midwest Area President for
Regions Bank. “Regions is committed to providing banking services and
community support in North St. Louis County, and we are excited to work
with Operation HOPE to provide free, focused, one-on-one financial
counseling and empowerment.”
The HOPE Inside location will initially be housed in Regions’ New Halls
Ferry branch located at 11920 New Halls Ferry Road in Florissant.
Counseling will be available beginning May 18. The HOPE Inside
counseling will later move to a new Regions location that will be built
along Lewis and Clark Boulevard in Jennings.
Regions is providing workspace facilities within the branches and other
support for HOPE Inside, enabling a certified financial counselor from Operation
HOPE to meet with clients during Regions’ regular business hours.
Counseling is provided free of charge and is available to the general
public.
As in other locations where Regions and Operation HOPE provide this
service, the counselor will work with clients to help them improve their
credit scores, understand and use credit wisely, strengthen their
overall financial management skills, and become better prepared to
achieve homeownership, avoid foreclosure, or meet other financial goals.
The free service is available regardless of whether the recipients are
Regions customers.
“This is about creating a thriving economy through financial empowerment
– and financial dignity,” said Operation HOPE Founder, Chairman, and
Chief Executive Officer John Hope Bryant. “Look at what happens in North
St. Louis County when we help people improve their credit scores by 100
points or more. Think about the difference we will see as more people
have a greater sense of ownership in their neighborhoods. And think
about the new investment and new jobs that come to communities when
people succeed financially. This is the vision we share with Regions for
North St. Louis County.”
HOPE Inside locations exist literally “inside” financial institutions,
retail stores, supermarkets, local municipalities or community-based
partners, allowing Operation HOPE to reach more people while cutting out
the expensive overhead costs of running a financial education center.
The HOPE Inside location at Regions will be the first HOPE Inside
outreach in St. Louis County.
Bryant, who also serves on the President’s Advisory Council on Financial
Capability for Young Americans, added, “This is personal to me. My
mother grew up in East St. Louis. I’ve always had a strong connection to
the St. Louis area. Operation HOPE has enjoyed a productive relationship
with Regions. When the opportunity came to expand our partnership to
include North St. Louis County, we knew we had a chance to reach more
people and have a unique and lasting impact on this community. Our hope
is that other financial institutions will follow the lead of Regions
Financial so we can continue to build on our momentum in the future.”
Locally based counseling will be provided by Bonita Williams, who has
more than 10 years of financial services experience. A St. Louis native,
Williams has served clients throughout North St. Louis County for
several years. Before transitioning to her new role as a HOPE Inside
financial counselor with Operation HOPE, Williams worked for Regions
Bank to provide financial education programs and additional services for
low-to-moderate-income clients. Williams holds a Bachelor of Science
degree in consumer economics from the University of Missouri and a
Master of Business Administration degree from Lindenwood University.
Members of the public interested in participating in HOPE Inside
counseling or workshops can learn more through the HOPE Inside section
of the Operation HOPE website at www.operationhope.org/hopeinside
or can email Williams beginning May 4 at bonita.williams@operationhope.org.
About Regions Financial Corporation
Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $122 billion in assets, is
a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation's largest
full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth
management, mortgage, and insurance products and services. Regions
serves customers in 16 states across the South, Midwest and Texas, and
through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates approximately 1,650
banking offices and 2,000 ATMs. Regions Bank is an Equal Housing Lender.
Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and
services can be found at www.regions.com.
About Operation HOPE
Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Los Angeles, Operation HOPE is
rated a 4-star charity by Charity Navigator. A global nonprofit focused
on financial dignity, HOPE has empowered more than 2.5 million
individuals and directed more than $1.8 billion in private capital to
America’s low-wealth communities. Through its three core divisions and
HOPE Financial Dignity Forum, the organization has provided youth and
adult financial literacy, economic preparedness, and digital
empowerment, and has promoted homeownership and assisted with
foreclosure prevention for more than 2.2 million individuals, families,
and small business owners worldwide. Currently, HOPE is 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. To learn more about Operation HOPE, visit www.operationhope.org, follow
HOPE on Twitter: @OperationHOPE, like HOPE on Facebook: Operation HOPE,
or follow on Instagram: @OperationHOPEHQ.
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