Press Releases
October 15th, 2019
JACKSON, MS – On Wednesday, September 25, Hope Enterprise Corporation / Hope Credit Union (HOPE) was joined by local officials, community partners, credit union members and other supporters to cut the ribbon on a new facility at its Jackson headquarters, and to celebrate its history of investment in Mississippi’s capital city. The new building enables HOPE to better support the growth experienced by the organization during the past decade. Since the 2008 financial crisis, HOPE has expanded from eight to 32 locations, with 240 employees in five states across the Deep South. In addition to being a major employer in Jackson, HOPE has substantially increased financial inclusion for its 12,000 Jackson members and their families, many of whom were previously underbanked or subjected to predatory payday lenders. In addition, HOPE has invested over $100 million to meet the financial needs of Jackson’s small business, homebuyers, and low-income consumers. “For 25 years, the City of Jackson helped nurture HOPE from an idea into a mature, high-performing organization,” said HOPE CEO Bill Bynum. “Our home city has played a central role in America’s ongoing struggle for social and economic justice, and we are proud to contribute to this important legacy.” About HOPE HOPE (Hope Enterprise Corporation, Hope Credit Union and Hope Policy Institute) provides affordable financial services; leverages private, public and philanthropic resources; and engages in policy analysis to fulfill its mission of strengthening communities, building assets, and improving lives in economically distressed parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. Since 1994, HOPE has generated billions of dollars in financing that has benefitted more than one million individuals living in one of the nation’s most impoverished regions.
Read More
October 3rd, 2019
NMTC Project to Expand STEM Education and Revitalizes Memphis Neighborhood Work is underway in Tennessee on a project to convert former retail space into an updated STEM facility that will increase educational opportunities in the North Memphis/Frayser community. The $15 million project, located at 2200 Frayser Boulevard, will house a new facility for Memphis STEM Academy (MSA) and will feature new classrooms, state-of-the-art labs, a multipurpose room, a library and offices. The renovation is a New Markets Tax Credits deal financed by HOPE, SunTrust Community Capital, LLC, BlueHub Capital and Nonprofit Finance Fund. The expansion will support MSA’s mission to promote academic excellence and the future success of students through a focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. “Renovating this plaza removes another eyesore and offers an asset that any community would be proud of – a new high tech school for elementary children, a healthcare partnership that will be a blessing for Frayser families and retail values that are competitive with any Memphis community,” said the Rev. Anthony Anderson, CEO of Memphis Business Academy. “We are proud of these initiatives. We are grateful to all of our partners.” Partnership with Land Trust Program Paves Path to Homeownership in New Orleans Expanding homeownership access in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward is the focus of a program led by the Crescent City Community Land Trust (CCCLT). HOPE recently partnered with the organization as one of the qualified lenders for the program, which is a unique model that preserves affordability permanently and provides ongoing support for the homeowner. Over the next two to three years, CCCLT will build and sell homes throughout the city of New Orleans, including in neighborhoods of opportunity, where prices are rising and affordability is needed. Learn more about the program. Anniversary Spotlight: Student-Led Branch Going Strong in Year 3 In 2017, HOPE’s Provine High School branch began operations as the only student-run credit union in Jackson, Miss., as a partnership with Jackson Public Schools and Alignment Jackson, a nonprofit organization focused on student achievement. Provine faculty, staff, and students 18 and older are eligible to open accounts at the on-campus branch, which operates two days a week. Students receive the same training as HOPE’s full-time staff, and gain hands-on experience with all facets of operating a financial institution, while building the financial capacity of Provine students, staff, and stakeholders. See this month’s WLBT news segment about the branch. The Door to Opportunity Marcos was unbanked for several months after arriving in the U.S. “Other banks required a Social Security number and when I came, I was awaiting my legal status. HOPE was an option for me,” he said. HOPE’s efforts to expand financial access in the immigrant community includes using alternative forms of identification, including individual taxpayer identification numbers that are assigned to immigrant residents. Read more. Refill Cafe Offers At-Risk Youth Job Training with Financial Counseling Provided by HOPE Refill Cafe is not your ordinary restaurant; it is a workforce and life skills training ground for […]
Read More
October 2nd, 2019
Mississippi Credit Union League Newsletter – Dec. 1995
Read More
August 27th, 2019
MEMPHIS, TN – Memphis Business Academy announced Tuesday, Aug. 27, the beginning of major renovations at Harmony Plaza, a project to convert retail space into an updated STEM facility that will increase educational opportunities in the North Memphis/Frayser community. The $15 million project, located at 2200 Frayser Boulevard, will house a new facility for Memphis STEM Academy (MSA) and will feature new classrooms, state-of-the-art labs, a multipurpose room, a library and offices. The expansion will support MSA’s mission to promote academic excellence and the future success of students through a focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Read More
August 12th, 2019
In 2017, HOPE opened the Provine High School-Hope Credit Union branch, the first student-run credit union branch in Jackson. The project was three years in the making. HOPE began working with Jackson Public Schools and Alignment Jackson, a nonprofit organization focused on student achievement, to launch the credit union located on the Provine campus in 2014. Provine faculty, staff, and students 18 and older are eligible to open accounts at the school branch location, which operates two days a week with students at the helm. Students interested in working in the branch interviewed for positions, then completed a rigorous training process. In exchange for their service they receive school credit and hands-on experience in every aspect of operating a financial operation. Markese Lee, a Provine honor student, is one of the student credit union workers. Lee already had checking and savings accounts, opened with money he earned working at Kroger. He decided to move his money to HOPE, explaining, “Credit unions prefer working for the people instead of working for themselves.” “Working at the credit union has been a fun experience,” Lee says. “I’ve led small seminars with other students and helped them understand the point of budgeting and saving their money instead of using it for frivolous things they don’t need. It makes me feel great to know I’m doing something positive, helping students my age or younger learn how to manage their money.”
Read More
June 21st, 2019
MONTGOMERY, AL – Hope Credit Union (HOPE) was joined by community partners, elected officials, credit union members and other supporters for a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday, June 21, for its new branch in Montgomery, Ala., which will expand access to financial services in Alabama’s capital city.
Read More
June 7th, 2019
JACKSON, MS – HOPE (Hope Enterprise Corporation/Hope Credit Union) on Thursday, June 6, received the 2019 Housing Visionary Award from the National Housing Conference (NHC) at a Washington, D.C., gala honoring organizations and individuals making significant contributions toward advancing affordable housing.
Read More
May 24th, 2019
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Hope Credit Union (HOPE), joined by community partners, elected officials, credit union members and other supporters, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony this week for its new branch on Elysian Fields Avenue in New Orleans.
Read More
May 13th, 2019
On Tuesday, May 7, Hope Credit Union (HOPE) was joined by local business leaders, representatives from the Mexican Consulate and other partners to celebrate its national Juntos Avanzamos designation from Inclusiv for its commitment to financial inclusion for the Hispanic community. Inclusiv, a national association with a mission to help low- and moderate-income people and communities achieve financial independence through credit unions, recognized HOPE’s initiative to close financial service gaps within the Hispanic community through the financial institution’s hiring of bilingual staff, strategic outreach, development of special financial products and bilingual marketing materials.
Read More
May 3rd, 2019
MEMPHIS, TN – On Thursday, May 2, Hope Credit Union (HOPE) celebrated becoming the first credit union in Tennessee to receive the national Juntos Avanzamos designation for its commitment to financial inclusion for the Hispanic community.
Read More
