Through this partnership, FICO’s Score A Better Future® Fundamentals curriculum will be delivered to millions of K–12 students across more than 70% of U.S. schools nationwide. The free program will reach 150,000 teachers who already use Banzai resources in the classroom, providing students with practical, interactive learning that shows how everyday financial decisions can affect their credit scores in real time.

This collaboration builds on FICO’s long‑standing commitment to financial empowerment—an approach exemplified by its ongoing partnership with Operation HOPE, a trusted leader within the FL4A network. Together, FICO and Operation HOPE have championed financial dignity, inclusion, and economic opportunity by ensuring individuals and communities have the knowledge and tools needed to navigate the credit system with confidence.

“Financial literacy is a critical life‑long skill for students to learn as they prepare for adulthood,” said Jenelle Dito, Vice President of Consumer Empowerment and Partnerships at FICO. “Understanding how credit works and how their everyday financial decisions can influence future milestones like renting an apartment, financing a car, or paying for college is essential to building a secure financial future.”

By integrating FICO’s trusted credit education into Banzai’s engaging classroom simulations, this initiative reinforces a shared belief among FICO, Operation HOPE, and FL4A partners: financial literacy should start early, be accessible to all, and be grounded in real‑world application.

As more states adopt financial education requirements for students prior to graduation, partnerships like this demonstrate what’s possible when mission‑driven organizations work together to create lasting, nationwide impact. We’re proud to celebrate FICO’s continued leadership—and its ongoing partnership with Operation HOPE—as a powerful example of the FL4A mission in action.

To learn more about the FICO and Banzai partnership, or to sign up, visit FICO’s website. To learn more about the Banzai Life Literacy Scholarship, explore additional resources visit.

Congratulations to FICO on this milestone—and thank you for continuing to advance financial empowerment for generations to come.

The post FICO and Banzai Are Bringing Credit Education to Millions of Students Nationwide appeared first on Operation HOPE.

This is Michael’s story in his own words.

At age 60, while living in a sober living house (a house for folks recovering from either an alcohol or drug addiction), I met Liz Joiner, a coach with Operation HOPE. The thought of someone supporting me in becoming successful in business and handling finances seemed like a really good idea for me and my recovery. I promised her I would schedule an appointment to meet. I was not aware of the impact she would have on my life.

Two areas of my life were about to improve significantly: financial maturity including credit building, and business development.

Regarding financial growth — financial literacy was not taught in my family. Even though my father had grade-A excellent credit, it was not something he taught me. Before meeting Liz, I had never been able to save money beyond a single two-week pay period. I never had any savings. I have never carried an active credit card account past six months without it being canceled due to nonpayment.

As for business development — over my adult life I attempted several businesses that never got off the ground. From selling Malcolm X tapes and books by African American authors in the late ’80s out of the trunk of my car, to creating a nonprofit organization that addressed social justice concerns during the summer of George Floyd’s death, I never had the ability to create something sustainable.

Since February of 2025, I’ve been working with Liz as my coach. In that short period of time, I’ve become a published author, created a YouTube channel focused on spiritual wellness content, and developed a workshop that guides people through a journaling process that leads to healing and wellness. I have the beginnings of a faith-based spiritual wellness coaching business. In January 2026, I facilitated my first Fortitude Foundations Workshop as a Recovery Wellness Coach, hosted by the Salvation Army Jacksonville Area Command. The plan is to continue growing my faith-based coaching business through book sales, facilitating workshops, and personalized wellness coaching — primarily through virtual platforms and YouTube.

I am experiencing the longest period in my life of maintaining a checking account in good standing. For the first time, I have built savings exceeding $2,000 and have begun investing in stocks, even on a small scale. I currently maintain two credit cards in good standing — one of which I’ve held for over a year — and my credit score is steadily improving from fair toward good.

The most significant addition to my financial lifestyle is that I now regularly have conversations with my adult daughters about generational wealth, savings, and investing.

Through encouragement, leadership, and consistent coaching, my life is better. I’m grateful to Operation HOPE and Liz Joiner for their investment in me, which has helped place my life on a purposeful path.

For more information: OperationHOPE.org. Follow the HOPE conversation on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.

The post From Receiving Support to Becoming the Support: Michael’s Success Journey appeared first on Operation HOPE.

CHICAGO and ATLANTA, March 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Young Americans increasingly feel the financial system is stacked against them, pushing long-term goals further out of reach and forcing many into survival mode. A new survey of 2,000 Gen Z and Millennial adults, released today by Beyond Finance in partnership with leading financial literacy non-profit Operation HOPE, reveals a widening gap between traditional financial guidance and the economic realities younger generations face, with 7 in 10 indicating wealth is out of reach as survival spending becomes the norm.

As April’s Financial Literacy Month spotlights the importance of financial education, the findings point to a broader challenge of whether the traditional path to financial success still works to achieve the “American Dream,” and the potential need to write a new one.

Key survey insights include:

Financial Rules That No Longer Add Up

A growing share of Gen Z and Millennials feel the financial system is working against them, not for them.

• Only 32% say the “American Dream” feels very realistic today
  
• 57% feel their generation was set up for financial failure
  
• 71% say wealth-building opportunities are becoming less achievable
  
• 68% believe their generation has been financially set back
  
• 65% say financial literacy places too much responsibility on individuals and overlooks the bigger economic picture
  
• 75% say financial knowledge alone won’t make homeownership attainable

Despite these hurdles, traditional markers of success, especially homeownership, remain key aspirations, underscoring the growing gap between expectations and reality.

From Wealth-Building to Survival Mode

Rising economic pressures are shifting financial behavior from long-term planning to daily decision-making focused on immediate needs.

• 71% say a side hustle or additional income is required to keep up
  
• Nearly 80% report using “survival spending” tactics
  
• 32% have used Buy Now, Pay Later for essentials like groceries and utilities
  
• Nearly 1 in 3 describe themselves as “barely surviving” financially
  
• 26% would prioritize covering basic living expenses given a financial windfall
  
• More than 40% report challenges with saving, paying down debt, and maintaining financial confidence

These behaviors indicate a stronger focus on present stability, often at the cost of future planning.

A Call for New Financial Rules and Real-World Education

At the same time, many respondents question whether traditional financial advice and education are aligned with the realities they face today.

• Only 28% feel fully prepared by their education to make financial decisions
  
• 43% say older generations don’t understand their financial challenges
  
• 68% say their generation talks more about getting rich than practicing good habits
  
• 80% support mandatory financial literacy education

This shift signals a broader change in financial identity, with success now defined by navigating an evolving and uncertain system rather than achieving traditional milestones.

Despite these challenges, Gen Z and Millennials remain engaged, adapting their expectations and redefining financial success for today’s environment.

“We’re asking these younger generations to follow financial rules that no longer fully reflect today’s reality,” said John Hope Bryant, founder, chairman, and CEO of Operation HOPE. “Budgeting alone won’t close the gap. This is a moment to reimagine financial education, to equip people not just to survive, but to thrive, build wealth, and claim their rightful place in today’s economy.”

“Many people have lost trust in a system that was supposed to work for them, and with it, they’ve lost trust in themselves and their sense of what’s possible,” added Dr. Erika Rasure, chief financial wellness advisor at Beyond Finance. “The reality is, financial conditions have changed faster than the rules. Redefining hope isn’t about asking people to try harder. It’s about helping them create values and financial habits that reflect their reality, and rebuilding confidence through consistent, sustainable progress.”

To help, Dr. Rasure offers insights and suggestions from her Beyond Finance client coaching sessions:

• Consistency is Key: Focus on small, repeatable actions, like contributing to an emergency fund, that create evidence of progress over time. These consistent steps help rebuild trust in your ability to influence your financial life and move forward with confidence.
• Stability Is Success: In today’s environment, maintaining financial stability is a meaningful achievement. Paying bills, supporting your household, and keeping your life functioning are not minimums — they are wins. Recognizing stability as success helps shift the mindset from shame to progress and keeps people engaged.
• Redefine the Dream: Traditional markers of success may no longer feel attainable, and that’s not your failure. It’s a signal to redefine success on your own terms. Focus on goals that are realistic and meaningful today, whether that’s reducing debt, increasing flexibility, or building consistency.
• Clarity Before Action: Instead of asking, “How can I do more?” start with “Where can I create breathing room?” and “What support can I access?” Hope grows when people see multiple paths forward, not just one rigid path.
• Self-Regulation Before Resolution: Financial stress can cloud decision-making. Before solving problems, take time to reset. Creating space for clarity helps shift decisions from reactive to intentional, and leads to better long-term outcomes.

To examine your money mindset further, take Operation HOPE’s “How Lit are You?” quiz and explore  a free tips guide from Beyond Finance.

This survey was commissioned by Beyond Finance in collaboration with Operation HOPE, and conducted by QuestionPro, a third-party research company, from March 16 – 18, 2026, with a collective sample of 2,000 Millennial (born 1981 to 1996) and Gen Z adults over 18 (born 1997-2008) Americans. Full research findings are available upon request.

About Beyond Finance

Beyond Finance, LLC, is the nation’s largest debt consolidation company. In its commitment to providing clients with a personalized approach to move beyond debt, Beyond Finance provides simple and transparent solutions that help consumers lower their eligible monthly payments, reduce the impact of interest, and reach a debt-free life sooner. Beyond Finance holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and has been awarded with multiple recognitions for its commitment to clients: Organization of the Year – The Business Intelligence Group’s Excellence in Customer Service Award, Gold Stevie Award for Outstanding Customer Service Department, Banking Tech Award – Financial Wellness Champion, Best In Biz Gold Award for top Customer Service Team, and 3 ConsumerAffairs’ “Buyer’s Choice Awards.” Beyond Finance has offices in Chicago, Atlanta, and Houston. For more information, visit BeyondFinance.com

About Operation HOPE, Inc.

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, which received the 2016 Innovator of the Year recognition by American Banker magazine, Operation HOPE has served more than 4 million individuals and directed more than $4.2 billion in economic activity into 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. For more information: OperationHOPE.org. Follow the HOPE conversation on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.

SOURCE Beyond Finance

The post Over Seventy Percent of Gen Z and Millennials Say Survival Spending Is the Norm and Wealth Is Out of Reach appeared first on Operation HOPE.

Operation HOPE was founded on a simple but radical belief: that financial dignity is not a privilege reserved for the few, but a right that belongs to everyone. For more than three decades, that belief has driven our work, connecting underserved individuals and communities to the financial education, coaching, and partnerships they need to build real, lasting stability. We call it the Silver Rights movement: the idea that the unfinished work of civil rights in America is economic, and that access to capital, credit, and financial knowledge is the frontier of that work. 

That work doesn’t happen abstractly. It happens in specific rooms, between specific people, through relationships built one conversation at a time. It happens because of the bank partners who choose to treat financial inclusion as a core value. Because of the coaches who show up for the hard conversations. Because of the clients who refuse to give up on a vision even when the rejections pile up. 

This Women’s History Month, we want to show you what that looks like in practice, through the stories of three women who represent that ecosystem from the inside. Not as a list of accomplishments, but as what it actually is: one continuous thread, running from the institution to the coach to the client and back again. Pull on any part of it, and you feel the whole. 

__________________________

She Builds the Framework 

Aimee Hamilton has spent more than 30 years thinking about risk — what it is, how to measure it, and what it costs when it isn’t managed well. As Chief Risk Officer at FirstBank, she oversees the systems that protect the institution: compliance, information security, fraud management, loan review. It is serious, technical, demanding work, and she is very good at it. 

But inside her portfolio sits something that doesn’t always live in a risk function: community development. The work of making sure FirstBank’s relationship to the communities it serves is one of genuine access, not just proximity. That’s not incidental to Aimee’s role. It’s central to how she understands it. 

This is the thing about risk management that rarely gets talked about: the question it’s always quietly answering is who gets protected, and who gets let in. Thirty years of experience with organizations ranging from $800 million to $50 billion in assets gives you a particular clarity about that question. You see what happens when the answer is too narrow. You see what it costs — to the community, and eventually to the institution itself. 

FirstBank’s partnership with Operation HOPE lives inside that answer. It is one expression of a belief that HOPE has always held — that financial dignity and institutional health are not competing priorities, that the bank which helps build a financially literate, stable community is the bank that earns and keeps that community’s trust. For HOPE, partnerships like this one are not a footnote to the mission. They are how the mission reaches people at scale. Aimee Hamilton understands this not as a policy position but as a professional conviction, built across decades of work. 

She builds the framework. And the framework, when it’s built right, is what makes everything else possible. 

__________________________

“We wear many hats — doctors, accountants, lawyers, teachers, mental health counselors, maids, chauffeurs, and chiefs. We do it all because we know it must get done.”  

— Bridget Wells, Financial Wellbeing Coach, Operation HOPE 

__________________________

She Builds Dignity 

Shakiera Carter doesn’t always know what someone is going to say when they sit down across from her. Sometimes they come in talking about credit scores or debt-to-income ratios. Sometimes they come in with something heavier, harder to name — a sense that the financial decisions they’ve made, or the ones that were made for them, say something permanent about who they are and what they deserve. 

Her job, as she understands it, is to be in the room for both conversations. 

“Many times, those conversations come with tears, vulnerability, and hope for a better future,” Shakiera says. “Being able to guide clients through those moments and help them build confidence in their financial decisions shows me that the work we do is truly changing lives.” 

What Shakiera is describing is not financial coaching in the narrow sense. It’s something closer to restoration — giving someone back their sense of agency, their belief that the future is something they can participate in shaping. It requires a kind of presence that can’t be scripted or systematized. It requires someone who is willing to sit in the hard room and stay there. 

“Every client we serve,” she says, “represents an opportunity to restore dignity, build knowledge, and create a pathway to financial stability.” 

That word — dignity — is doing important work. It reminds us that financial empowerment is not fundamentally about numbers. It’s about what people believe is possible for them. Change that, and you change everything downstream: the decisions they make, the risks they’re willing to take, the futures they’re willing to imagine. Shakiera Carter changes that, one conversation at a time. 

__________________________

“When you empower a woman and her children with financial knowledge, you create the opportunity to change the trajectory of an entire generation.” — Lorene Rochez, Financial Wellbeing Coach, Operation HOPE 

__________________________

She Builds Homes 

In 2020, Jamie Rae Wright founded a company. She had no outside funding, no institutional backing, and no roadmap. What she had was a decade of personal experience — as a domestic violence survivor, as someone who had experienced homelessness, as a woman who had watched HGTV feature her own story of buying a house in Houston and thought: what about the women who can’t do this alone? 

Her mission was clear from the beginning: to build safe, affordable housing for domestic violence survivors and their children. The vision was real. What she needed was the strategy to match it. 

That’s where Operation HOPE came in, and specifically, where Coach Pamela Sanford came in. 

“Coach Pamela challenged me, encouraged me, provided resources, and would not allow me to play small,” Jamie says. They met at least once a week for months. Coach Pamela asked the questions that forced precision: What goal are you trying to achieve? How would you sustain this? Did you think about this? She pushed Jamie toward grant funding when Jamie wasn’t sure it was possible. She refused to let the vision shrink to fit the fear. 

The results speak in the plainest possible terms: a $4.1 million grant from the State of Oklahoma to build 13 homes for domestic violence survivors. An additional $250,000 grant to provide financial literacy, homebuying coaching, and supportive services for the families who will live in those homes. A model that doesn’t just solve for shelter, but also for stability, for the next decision, and the one after that. 

“I absolutely could not have achieved the $4.1 million grant and an additional $250,000 grant without Coach Pamela and Operation HOPE,” Jamie says. “Despite facing numerous rejections, I persevered. My HOPE experience is directly responsible for the funding we were awarded.” 

Thirteen homes. Thirteen families. The children who will grow up in them, with a different story than the one their mothers were trying to escape. That’s what it looks like when the framework holds, when the coaching is real, when someone refuses to let another person play small. 

She builds homes. But what she’s really building is the proof that this works. 

__________________________

The Thread 

Aimee Hamilton. Shakiera Carter. Jamie Rae Wright. Three women, three different roles, three different cities and one continuous story about what Operation HOPE’s mission looks like when it’s working. 

It looks like institutions willing to treat access as a core value, not a footnote. It looks like coaches willing to sit in the hard room and stay. It looks like clients who persist through the rejections and keep going anyway, because someone refused to let them play small. This is the Silver Rights movement in action.  

At its heart, the movement is but a set of relationships, sustained over time, that move real people from financial exclusion to financial dignity. Operation HOPE’s job is to hold all of it together — the framework, the coaching relationship, the proof point, and the next person who walks in the door. 

Women’s History Month may end on March 31, but the work doesn’t. And in many ways, it’s just begun. 

That’s why we’ll be celebrating April as Financial Literacy Month, and we’re bringing back Green Socks Day! It’s all the same thread, similar conversations, and the next chapter. Because financial dignity is not a destination you arrive at once. It’s something that gets built, and maintained, and passed on. By women like these. And the many more who show up every day to do the work that doesn’t always announce itself. 

Learn more about Operation HOPE’s programs →  
Join us for Green Socks Day → 

The post She Builds  appeared first on Operation HOPE.

HOPE Inside Disaster coach Andrew Avina has been working with Los Angeles fire survivors for over a year now as a part of Project Restore HOPE – Los Angeles.

He recently received the following letter of gratitude from a client that he has worked with for almost the entire year. Together, they turned many obstacles into successes, including moving her FEMA case forward when other support groups ran into issues; securing grants, rent support, utilities, and grocery coverage through partnership organizations like the Red Cross and Salvation Army; as well as a most recent $500 gift card from Vida Mobile Clinic.

She wrote:

“It was really humbling for me to be on the other side of the desk after the fires. As a social worker, I’m usually the one helping people, and it’s hard for me to ask for help. The fires affected our income, place to live, and devastated us financially—so much so that I needed to learn to ask for help.

The day I had to walk into the WIC/food stamp office was so emotional, with tears of embarrassment and humility that it had come to this point—that we couldn’t do it alone any longer, could no longer support our two kids under the age of 3 at the time. It was loss after loss, and we thought we were going to be able to return home and kept paying rent for an apartment we couldn’t live in due to smoke damage. After we received a report that our entire apartment had high amounts of lead and other heavy metals, FEMA declared our place not safe to live, and our landlord stopped responding about remediating the apartment, we made the difficult decision to move to Nashville to start over.

It was right in the middle of all this that I went to the Disaster Recovery Center in Altadena and met Andrew at the Operation HOPE table. It meant so much to talk to an actual human and schedule a time to meet with him virtually. He remembered my name and story. We set up times to meet, and honestly, he and a few others are the ones that have kept me moving forward in recovery.

I really appreciated how Andrew would listen to my issues without judgment and with a massive amount of empathy. But it wasn’t just the listening ear—it was his actionable steps—how he actually had great connections in places that I needed help with. We would talk about an issue, and he would send an email DURING our meeting to a person who could make a difference. I left our meetings feeling like my family was being advocated for and that things were being accomplished, rather than hitting my head against the wall with no after no.

I met with him from all sorts of locations (garage, car, coffee shops, playgrounds, living room, etc.), all while trying to keep talking while kids needed my attention at the same time. I’m super thankful we can meet remotely!

Another thing I appreciate is that it is a holistic approach, focused on not just FEMA but also getting the right info for insurance claims, resources for legal and government services too. He was also able to inform me about small business coaching through Operation HOPE, and my husband was able to take advantage of this resource!”

For more information: OperationHOPE.org. Follow the HOPE conversation on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.

The post Turning Obstacles into Success through Advocacy, Empathy, and Action appeared first on Operation HOPE.

Bobby Lockhart enrolled in coaching with me, Kiva Akoto, Small Business Development Coach at Operation HOPE in Memphis (HOPE Inside powered by Truist Bank – Crosstown Concourse/Uptown Branch), initially seeking guidance on launching a small product-based business. At the time, he was exploring ideas in the hair care space and was looking for clarity on how to move forward. However, through his participation in the Small Business Development Cohort and exposure to broader entrepreneurial strategies, his vision evolved beyond a single product into building a sustainable business infrastructure.

Through coaching, Bobby was introduced to foundational business development strategies, including formal business structuring, branding, and operational systems. He fully engaged in the program and further expanded his perspective by attending the HOPE Global Forums 2025 gathering in Atlanta. This experience became a turning point, helping him transition from simply exploring ideas to building a scalable enterprise. With guidance and the resources gained through the program, Bobby established Lockhart Legacy Group, LLC, secured his EIN, implemented business banking, and developed brand assets and systems to support long-term growth.

As a result of his progress, Bobby moved from theory to full implementation. He successfully self-published his first book through Amazon, developed 20 voice-narrated workbooks, and built a premium digital platform supported by modern tools and AI-powered systems. He also secured federal trademarks for UNSTUCK: Rise and Build, Power • Love • Discipline, and PLD, solidifying the foundation of his brand. Notably, he accomplished this while maintaining a full-time leadership role in healthcare operations, demonstrating discipline and commitment throughout the process.

Bobby shared, “Operation HOPE helped me move from having ideas to building a real structure. The coaching and exposure to broader entrepreneurial thinking gave me the clarity and discipline to go from exploration into implementation—and to build a platform designed to help leaders get unstuck, create clarity, and turn vision into systems.”

Through coaching and the structure provided by Operation HOPE, Bobby has transformed his mindset from simply starting a business to building a legacy-driven enterprise designed to grow and serve others. His work now focuses on empowering leaders to move forward using AI as a strategic resource, while maintaining human leadership at the center. Today, his business is fully structured, actively growing, and positioned for long-term impact—personally and professionally.

For more information: OperationHOPE.org. Follow the HOPE conversation on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.

The post How This Entrepreneur Turned a Product Idea into a Scalable Enterprise appeared first on Operation HOPE.

Today, we honor Ambassador Andrew Young on his 94th birthday with deep gratitude. 

Ambassador Young stood at the center of the American Civil Rights Movement, serving as one of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s closest advisors and helping translate moral courage into legislation that changed this country. He went on to serve as a U.S. Congressman, United States Ambassador to the United Nations, and Mayor of Atlanta — a career defined by expanding opportunity for those who had long been left out of the American promise. 

What Ambassador Young understood, and what shaped generations of leaders who followed, is that political freedom and economic freedom are inseparable. A society cannot call itself fully free if people lack the tools to build credit, start businesses, own homes, and pass opportunity on to the next generation. 

That belief sits at the heart of Operation HOPE’s mission. Financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and access to capital are not just financial tools; they are also social tools — instruments of dignity. 

Ambassador Young helped open the doors of democracy. Our work is making sure millions of Americans can walk through them prepared. 

Happy 94th birthday, Ambassador Young. Your example continues to guide the work ahead. 

The post Celebrating Ambassador Andrew Young at 94 appeared first on Operation HOPE.

Green Socks Day Set for April 30 as a National Call to Action to Close National Financial Literacy Month

ATLANTA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Operation HOPE, and its national initiative Financial Literacy for All (FL4A), today announced the launch of the second annual Green Socks Day Challenge, a nationwide movement culminating on April 30 to close Financial Literacy Month with a country-wide call to action emphasizing financial literacy as the foundation for economic opportunity and ownership.

Powered by FL4A, Green Socks Day encourages individuals, schools, corporations, faith-based organizations, and community groups across the country to wear green socks as a visible symbol of commitment to financial understanding and economic empowerment.

Throughout April, Operation HOPE will spotlight stories of individuals improving their credit, reducing debt, launching businesses, and preparing for homeownership. On April 28^th, representatives from participating organizations will join Operation HOPE in anticipation of Green Socks Day by ringing the Opening Bell at Nasdaq in New York City.

On April 30, individuals and organizations across the globe, are encouraged to share their participation on social media using #GreenSocksDay and engage their communities in conversations about financial literacy and economic mobility. Select photos from participant submissions and from social media will be featured on the Nasdaq Tower in Times Square.

This year’s focus, “The First Step Is Financial,” emphasizes the role foundational financial knowledge plays in preparing individuals and families for long-term economic stability, including entrepreneurship, homeownership, and wealth-building.

The initiative builds on the success of last year’s inaugural Green Socks Day Challenge, which achieved record-breaking impact, mobilized corporate partners, and drove a surge in new clients seeking Operation HOPE’s no-cost financial coaching services, including:

• Participation by more than 50 leading corporations including Walmart, MasterCard, US Bank, Truist, Huntington Bank, iHeart Media, Delta Airlines, MLB, MLS, NASCAR, Nasdaq, NBA, NHL, Shopify, OpenAI, and UPS
• More than 6,700 new client enrollments for Operation HOPE’s financial coaching services
• Over 1 million impressions generated by the #GreenSocksDay social media campaign with top posts featured on Nasdaq’s Times Square Tower in New York City

“Economic freedom begins with financial understanding,” said John Hope Bryant, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE. “Ownership, entrepreneurship, and generational wealth are built on a foundation of financial literacy. Green Socks Day reminds us that preparation is the first step toward lasting opportunity.”

Corporations, small businesses, and community organizations are encouraged to participate in Green Socks Day by engaging employees in the initiative, hosting financial literacy events, and promoting financial literacy resources.

Through FL4A and Operation HOPE, individuals nationwide have access to free financial coaching, educational programs, and corporate partnerships to help drive financial empowerment at scale.

Individuals and organizations can learn more, access activation resources, and participate at: https://operationhope.org/green-socks-day-challenge/

About Financial Literacy for All (FL4A)

Launched in 2021, Financial Literacy for All (FL4A) is a national initiative co-chaired by John Hope Bryant, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Operation HOPE, and Doug McMillon, CEO of Walmart. FL4A is dedicated to embedding financial literacy into American culture, ensuring that financial education becomes a lifelong learning priority for individuals, families, businesses, and communities. FL4A is backed by leading corporate partners committed to making financial literacy accessible to all. For more information, visit www.fl4a.org

About Operation HOPE, Inc.

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, which received the 2016 Innovator of the Year recognition by American Banker magazine, Operation HOPE has served more than 4 million individuals and directed more than $4.2 billion in economic activity into 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. For more information: OperationHOPE.org. Follow the HOPE conversation on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.

Contacts

Operation HOPE Contact:
Sarah Troutt, Mendel Communications
sarah@mendelcommunications.com

The post Second Annual Green Socks Day Challenge appeared first on Operation HOPE.

Reverend Jackson’s leadership helped elevate the importance of economic empowerment and access to capital as essential components of lasting progress. Through Operation PUSH, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, and the Wall Street Project, he challenged institutions to expand access to leadership, ownership, and economic participation.

In the final chapter of Dr. King’s life, he began pivoting the movement toward economic justice through the Poor People’s Campaign, emphasizing that access to capital, jobs, and economic participation would define the next phase of the struggle. A young Reverend Jackson and Dr. King’s lieutenant, Ambassador Andrew Young, carried that work forward after his assassination, each advancing the mission in distinct but complementary ways. Reverend Jackson’s leadership in Operation Breadbasket helped translate civil rights into economic action, building on Reverend Leon Sullivan’s leadership and advancing complementary strategies focused on ownership, corporate engagement, and structural economic participation.

His work helped shape generations committed to expanding opportunity and strengthening economic dignity.

Operation HOPE remains committed to advancing financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and economic empowerment for all.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to the Jackson family, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, and all those honoring his extraordinary life.

A word from our Chairman

The post Operation HOPE Statement on the Passing of Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. appeared first on Operation HOPE.

Bastian will join the initiative’s leadership at a pivotal moment as FL4A continues to expand its reach and deepen collaboration across the public and private sectors to improve financial capability for individuals and families nationwide.

“Ed Bastian is a respected business leader who understands the importance of investing in people and communities,” said John Hope Bryant, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Operation HOPE. “He has been at the forefront of investing in improved outcomes for his team members and the communities he operates in, making him an ideal leader to help guide Financial Literacy for All into its next chapter.”

As CEO of Delta Air Lines, Bastian has championed inclusive economic growth, workforce investment, and corporate citizenship. Under his leadership, Delta has been widely recognized for its focus on employee wellbeing, sustainability, and community engagement.

“Financial literacy is foundational to opportunity and long-term success,” said Bastian. “I’m honored to join Financial Literacy for All and to work alongside partners across sectors to help equip people with the tools and knowledge they need to build a more secure future.”

About Financial Literacy for All

Launched in 2020, Financial Literacy for All is national initiative to embed financial literacy into American culture, led by a prominent group of leaders from the business, sports, entertainment and nonprofit sectors. This 10-year initiative will reach millions of youths and working adults by making financial literacy fun, engaging them where they live, work and celebrate.

Founded by co-chairs Operation HOPE CEO John Hope Byrant and Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, the initiative has convened some of the world’s most influential brands to use their reach and creativity to advance the mission of FL4A. Founding Members include Walmart, Bank of America, Delta Air Lines, The Walt Disney Company, NFL, NBA, PayPal, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Khan Academy, and Ares Management.

Contacts

Media Contact:
Kevin Boucher
Chief Strategy and Communications Officer
Operation HOPE
kevin.boucher@operationhope.org

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