Operation HOPE and Popular Community Bank Launch Third HOPE Inside

Popular Community Bank, a subsidiary of Popular, Inc. [Nasdaq: BPOP], along with partner Operation HOPE, launched the third HOPE Inside location in New York. The office is at Popular Community Bank’s branch on 539 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, NY. The program will empower entrepreneurs and small businesses in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, through classroom education and onsite guidance.

Hope Inside Grows: Community leaders work together to bring guidance and counseling for aspiring ent ...

Hope Inside Grows: Community leaders work together to bring guidance and counseling for aspiring entrepreneurs in Brooklyn. Pictured left to right: Edward Kramer, a member of the Operation Hope Northeastern Board; Mary Hagerty Ehrsam, CEO, New York and Division President, HOPE Youth Empowerment Group Operation HOPE, Inc.; U.S. Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, of New York’s 9th District; Assemblymember Annette Robinson, Assembly District 56; Brian Doran, NY Metro Region Executive, PCB; Pedro Barry, Small Business Program Manager, Operation HOPE (Photo: Business Wire)

A Grand Opening celebration held on Thursday, February 19 inaugurated the Crown Heights HOPE Inside location to the community. U.S. Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, of New York’s 9th District and Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams praised efforts to help build local businesses. Business leaders, bank clients and students heard testimony from previous participants of the program, attending the free workshops with a trained Operation HOPE counselor.

U.S. Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke of New York’s 9th District shared, “On behalf of the people of the Ninth Congressional District of New York, I want to thank Operation HOPE and Popular Community Bank for their commitment to strengthening the middle class in our community, by providing critical information about the best methods to establish an excellent credit score, reduce debt, and build savings for the future. These savings provide the foundation for a family to own a home, for the children to attend college, and for the parents to have a secure retirement. I welcome Operation HOPE to our community, and I am certain that we will work with each other in the future.”

Operation HOPE and Popular Community Bank work as a team at the branch to provide two different offerings:

  • Small Business Workshops – every second Tuesday of the month (the first started February 10) from 5 PM – 7 PM, creates the opportunity for a one-on-one consultation with a trained Operation HOPE counselor to discuss their business plan, financials and to deliver support through other referrals.
  • Entrepreneurial Training Program - starting in March 2015 to May 2015 from 5 PM-7PM ET every Wednesday, provides attendees with practical information to enable their success. Guest experts are invited to attend to discuss branding, distribution, capital financing, conduct analysis and vet out their value proposition.

“Operation HOPE applauds Popular Community Bank for bringing the services of a HOPE Inside to Brooklyn,” said Mary Hagerty Ehrsam, Chief Executive Officer of New York for Operation HOPE and the Division President of the HOPE Youth Empowerment Group. “We value our partnership and we are pleased that they share our passion for promoting financial literacy programs that build strong communities.”

“Our ongoing commitment to Operation HOPE is another way we strive to empower entrepreneurs and the community business leaders of tomorrow,” said Brian Doran, New York Metro Region Executive, Popular Community Bank. “We’ve enjoyed success with the other HOPE Inside locations because of Operation HOPE’s incredible dedication. We will continue to advocate on behalf of these students so they can achieve their goals.”

The first, HOPE Inside in New York was inaugurated April of 2014, at 231 West 125th Street in Harlem. The second Hope Inside program was launched in June, 2014, at 752 East Tremont Avenue in the Bronx.

Popular Community Bank has partnered with Operation HOPE's Project 5117 campaign to open a HOPE Inside Bank Branch in four New York City Boroughs with a $450,000 economic investment. The partnership to develop HOPE Inside commenced in November 2013 with a commitment of $150,000 from Popular Community Bank.

For more information or to sign up for the Small Business Development Program speak with the Operation HOPE representative at the Popular Community Bank branch on 539 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, NY or call (201) 381-8798.

Note: Photographs of the event are available upon request.

About Operation HOPE

Since 1992, Operation HOPE has been providing financial dignity and economic empowerment to over 2.2 million individuals worldwide. Through its work, HOPE turns check cashing customers into banking customers, renters into homeowners, small business dreamers into small business owners and minimum wage workers into living wage consumers. For additional information about Operation HOPE, go to www.operationhope.org.

About Popular Community Bank

Founded in 1893, Popular, Inc. (NASDAQ: BPOP) is the leading banking institution by both assets and deposits in Puerto Rico and ranks among the top 50 U.S. banks by assets. In the United States, Popular has established a community-banking franchise providing a broad range of financial services and products with branches in New York, New Jersey and Florida.

Popular’s services are available at branches and online at http://popularcommunitybank.com. For customers seeking more information, call 1-800-377-0800 or email popularnet@bpop.com. Find out about the community service of Popular Community Bank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PopularCommunityBank.

Contacts:

Operation HOPE
Sherry John, 213-891-2908
sherry.john@operationhope.org
or
Popular Community Bank
Fran Del Valle, 212-717-5499
fran@influencecentral.com

Data & News supplied by www.cloudquote.io
Stock quotes supplied by Barchart
Quotes delayed at least 20 minutes.
By accessing this page, you agree to the following
Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.