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Operation HOPE, Popular Community Bank Launch HOPE Inside in Brooklyn

February 20, 2015 Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Pictured from left: 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; Assemblymember Annette Robinson; Brian Doran, N.Y. Metro Region executive, PCB; and Pedro Barry, Small Business Program manager, Operation HOPE. Photo courtesy of Popular Community Bank
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Popular Community Bank, a subsidiary of Popular, Inc., 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. The program will empower entrepreneurs and small businesses in Crown Heights through classroom education and onsite guidance.

A Grand Opening celebration held on Feb. 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.

“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,” Clarke said.

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 Feb. 10) from 5 to 7 p.m. These workshops create 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 and continuing through May 2015, from 5 to 7 p.m., every Wednesday. This program provides attendees with practical information to enable their success. Guest experts are invited to attend to discuss branding, distribution, capital financing, conduct analysis and to vet out their value proposition.

 

The first HOPE Inside in New York was inaugurated April 2014, at 231 West 125th St. in Harlem. The second Hope Inside program was launched in June 2014 at 752 East Tremont Ave. 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.

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