Wells Fargo and Operation HOPE, Inc., a national nonprofit dedicated to financial empowerment for underserved communities, announced Thursday the opening of their HOPE Inside center in the District.
The HOPE Inside centers are located inside a Wells Fargo branch in each market, and feature Operation HOPE financial coaches who help empower community members to achieve their financial goals through free financial education workshops and one-on-one coaching. In the District, the HOPE Inside coach is located inside the Shops at Park Village branch, located at 1545 Alabama Avenue SE in the Congress Heights neighborhood.
“We know from our outreach and work with national and community stakeholders that financial education and guidance, and an individual’s sense of inclusion and trust, are all important factors in bringing more people who are unbanked into the formal banking system,” said Darlene Goins, head of Wells Fargo’s Banking Inclusion Initiative. “Working with Operation HOPE is one important way that we can help remove barriers to financial inclusion and empower people with education, resources, and tools to manage their money, improve their credit, and achieve their financial goals. It’s exciting to see this collaboration grow and make a great impact in even more communities.”
The goal of the collaboration is to make financial education and guidance more accessible to those most in need by opening Hope Inside centers in 20 low-to-moderate-income communities by the end of 2023.
“The Wells Fargo HOPE Inside centers mark a significant step forward in addressing barriers to financial wealth in diverse communities by offering a welcoming space, access to financial coaches, and expanded resources that support the financial goals of individuals with the greatest needs,” said John Hope Bryant, chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE, Inc. “This collaborative effort drives meaningful change and ultimately helps address the deeply rooted barriers to financial empowerment in underserved communities.”
HOPE Inside is part of Wells Fargo’s Banking Inclusion Initiative to help more people who are unbanked gain access to affordable, mainstream banking products, and help remove barriers to financial inclusion for people of color, who account for more than half of unbanked households.
Additional information may be found at www.wellsfargo.com.