Did you know that
there's a private bank
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for the working poor?
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Well stay tuned to meet a man
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who will inspire hope
for your economic future.
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My name is Yvonne Lewis
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and you're
watching Urban Report.
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Hello and
welcome to Urban Report.
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My guest today is Ryan Mack,
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Market President of
the Mid-Atlantic Region
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for Operation HOPE.
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Ryan is a frequent
contributor to CNN and CNBC.
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He has been featured in
African American Family,
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The Source and NV Magazine,
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contributes regularly
to Huffingtonpost. com
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The Network Journal,
Fortune and Black Enterprise,
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received the Top 40
Under 40 Achievement Award
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from the Network Journal
and received Tom Joyner's
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"Hardest Working
Financial Advisor Award"
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because of his efforts
to empower the Community
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with the crucial life
skills of financial literacy.
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Welcome to Urban Report Ryan.
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Thank you so much Yvonne
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for the work that you all
are doing each and every day
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I'm so pleased
to be here with you.
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Well, thank you, we
are blessed to have you
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and we are so appreciative
of the work that you're doing
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because financial
literacy is so... so important.
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So many people just don't know
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how to do basic things,
would you agree with that?
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Absolutely, I
mean, knowledge is power
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it says very
clearly in the Bible,
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"Our love must not be a
thing of words and fine talk
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it must be a thing of
action and sincerity. "
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So, if we really
love our community,
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if we really
want to do something,
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we can't just talk about it,
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we have to have
some action behind it.
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And when you're
talking about faith,
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faith is one of the
most substantial things
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and one of the
most empowering things
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any individual can
do in the Community
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faith being comprised of belief
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that tomorrow... a better and
brighter day is going to come
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but then action...
that's coupled with that belief
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and then with those two
things... you have faith
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and financial literacy...
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if you want to
have substantial action
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it teaches
individuals of what can I do
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as far as financial...
finance is concerned,
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what can I do to empower myself.
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When I first started
working with gang members,
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the first young
man that I worked with
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he came to me
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and he was the leader of
the "Bloods" in Brooklyn.
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He just came out of prison,
he had 300 dollars to his name
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and he didn't know a
whole lot about money,
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he said, "Ryan, what
am I supposed to do?"
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I've got 300 dollars,
I'm basically homeless.
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So, I taught him about going to
Inc-It-Now and forming an LLC.
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I taught him about budgeting,
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I taught him on
how to form a business,
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I taught him on
how to go to get a GED,
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I taught him about how to
get an Electrician's certificate
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from different Organizations
in the neighborhood,
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so all these things exposed
him to... the light of...
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"Wow, you know what? Now
I can form my own business"
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and 12 months
later, he had ten employees
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and two project managers,
most of them... other "Bloods"
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and now... it really...
was just as simple as that,
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just flicking on
that switch of hope.
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Flicking on that
switch and saying,
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"You know what? I
can start a business,
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I can manage my money,
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selling drugs is
not the only way for me
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because I now know better
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so I now know how to do better
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and lot of us spend
our time judging others
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and judging as
to why individuals
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just want to rob and steal,
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you know why most people steal?
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At least the ones
that I've talked to?
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If you ask them, why
do they rob and steal?
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They'll say,
"You know what, Ryan,
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I saw someone have a
jacket on and I saw that jacket
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and I saw that as a
means to feed my child. "
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"I saw that as a
means to feed my family. "
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Now, I'm not condoning
theft and I would never do that
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and that's
absolutely the wrong thing
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but if we're not
teaching our Communities
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and not embracing them,
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doing the
principles of what the Word...
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of what you all teach every
single day with your Network,
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teaching them what the Word
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teaches about the right
way to go about doing things,
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then individuals are
going to choose the wrong way,
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I mean, how can
we begrudge anyone
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if all they see is pimps
and drug dealers and pushers
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as role models
in their Community,
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if that's what
they're going to do,
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they're role modeling what
their version of success is,
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so, we were talking
about financial literacy
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and then we
couple on top of that,
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we have individuals...
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we have the 360 billion
dollar elephant in the room
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which are financial predators
that essentially capitalize
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off of ignorance, that's...
so... these are things...
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financial literacy is the answer
to a lot of our solutions...
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economic
solutions in our communities
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that we must
implement as soon as possible.
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Absolutely, you know,
and that's such a good point
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that 360 billion...
is that what you said?
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Yes ma'am, yes...
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What is that elephant in
the room? Tell us about that.
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What is the 360
billion dollar elephant?
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I'm in Detroit right now
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and as you walk down the street
in Detroit, what do you see?
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You see Check Cashing
places, you see Payday Loans,
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you see Cash
Advances, you see Title Loans,
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you see Refund
Anticipation Loans,
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you see Weed Refineries,
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you see Pawn Shops,
you see Rent-a-Centers,
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you see Rent-a-Center stores,
all of these are businesses
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that are designed for
short-term gain, maximizing...
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or trying to capitalize,
rather, off of the ignorance,
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again, there's nothing
wrong with being ignorant
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but there is something
wrong with staying ignorant.
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So, if you are going to
the Check Cashing place,
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you don't know how to
open up a bank account.
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We... with Operation
HOPE, we do a lot of work
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with those
individuals who are underserved,
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and I'll tell you, in
Detroit, I saw one Grocery Store
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that is earning a half a
million dollars a year more
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since they
inserted check cashing
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into their revenue stream.
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They put a
Check Cashing Facility
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inside of the grocery store
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and now they're earning a half
a million dollars a year more
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off of fees being
taken from those who again...
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they need those fees
to feed their children
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to put clothes on their backs,
to keep a roof over their head,
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but they're giving
these fees... excessive fees,
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to the financial
predators in the Community
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who are...
essentially betting on the fact
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that they're not going to
learn how to open bank accounts
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they're not going to learn...
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there are a lot of
people in our neighborhoods
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are living check to Tuesday
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and they can't make
it to the next pay day
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so they go to the Payday Loan,
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we had someone come into
our offices the other day...
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she came in with
a 300 dollar loan
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or she took out
a 300 dollar loan
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six weeks later
after two extensions...
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two two-week extensions
she owed 1,245 dollars
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Yvonne: No, from
the 300 dollar loan?
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Absolutely, this is what's
happening in our communities.
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They're betting on the fact...
these financial predators...
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it's an industry based
upon... that we want to bet
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that these individuals
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will never learn how
to improve their credit,
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open up bank accounts,
start their own businesses,
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accumulate wealth,
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there's a new term that
I've tried to conjure up,
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pushing as hard as possible,
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everybody's heard
of gentrification,
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what Operation HOPE
is trying to promote
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is internal gentrification,
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and gentrification is
essentially the perspective of:
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you have people that move in
from outside of the Community
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who have higher
wealth there, higher income
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and they start
buying up properties
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that people inside
of the communities...
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because of high poverty rates...
couldn't normally afford.
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But if we promote
internal gentrification,
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what that means is that,
if we educate our people,
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teach them about
how to start businesses,
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teach them how to
improve their credit scores
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from 500 to over
700 credit scores,
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you know, 700-credit
score communities don't riot,
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name me one
700-credit score community...
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and I've marched...
I've marched in Ferguson...
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I marched in
Ferguson for Mike Brown,
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I marched in New
York for Eric Gardener,
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I marched in
Cleveland for Tamir Rice,
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Baltimore for Freddie Gray,
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I've been
marching and my feet hurt,
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we have to figure out a way
to do something beyond marching
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to give ourselves
a tangible Community
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and those
communities that are rioting,
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those are
500-credit score communities
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that are indicative
of high poverty rates
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that are essentially...
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that don't know of
any other alternative
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and a large part
of that is economic,
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if we can solve that
economic piece of the puzzle,
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then we'll be
able to start to see
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those check cashing places
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turn into Credit
Unions and Banks.
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We'll see those liquor stores
turning into convenient stores,
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we'll see those weed...
they're trying to raise the
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the economy of
the trend right now
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with the revenue from
weed refineries and liquor.
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So, essentially
what they're saying is,
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we want to make
money off of you,
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as long as you stay
high and drunk all day,
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we'll be able to keep
our bottom line solid,
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that's not a way
to build the economy,
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that's only the way to
capitalize off of a few
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who want to pimp
those individuals
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who are poor in our communities
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and they take that money
back to their communities,
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while the people
in the community,
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essentially stay
poor and impoverished
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and that's not a
winning business model
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we need a
win-win... we're talking about
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inclusive economics and
increasing disparity of income,
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there are few at the
top who are not necessarily,
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who are essentially...
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we need to broaden the
base of our economic base
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so more people
have an opportunity
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to sit at the table
of economic opportunity
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that's what Operation
HOPE is really all about
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and that's what we're promoting.
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Wow, you gave me so
much to chew on right there,
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I mean... it's... you know...
are people... the Bible says
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"My people are
destroyed for lack of knowledge"
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and if we don't...
what you don't know...
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if we don't know to do something
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then you're going
to do it the wrong way.
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You're going to
covet that jacket
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and you're going
to think that stealing
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is the only way to
make money for your family
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but what you're telling us...
is that there is a better way,
00:09:54.62\00:09:58.03
God has a better way,
there is a better way,
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you don't have to
steal to feed your family,
00:10:00.40\00:10:02.70
if you know
what to do over here,
00:10:02.73\00:10:05.03
if you know that...
if you can get that GED
00:10:05.07\00:10:08.04
or if you know that you
can open a bank account...
00:10:08.07\00:10:10.71
because you don't even
know that you can do that
00:10:10.74\00:10:13.31
you think that
that's too hard for you
00:10:13.34\00:10:15.04
that's not for you,
00:10:15.08\00:10:16.41
"let me just take
my check over here
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and cash it over
here and get the money
00:10:18.61\00:10:21.15
from the check
cashing place and pay them. "
00:10:21.18\00:10:23.72
I know someone too
who got a loan from
00:10:23.75\00:10:27.29
one of those loan sharks, got...
00:10:27.32\00:10:29.62
it was about 300 or 500 dollars
00:10:29.66\00:10:32.16
and ended up in
like 1,500 dollars
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for a 300 dollar loan,
00:10:34.70\00:10:36.87
it's like...
"What are you thinking?
00:10:36.90\00:10:38.70
What are you thinking?"
00:10:38.73\00:10:41.27
Well, I mean,
the Bible also says,
00:10:41.30\00:10:44.04
"Of what use is
money... in the hand of a fool
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if they have no
desire to obtain wisdom?"
00:10:46.81\00:10:49.44
And a lot of individuals
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and the 70-billion-dollar
elephant in the room,
00:10:52.75\00:10:55.08
is the Lottery Industry...
that essentially is saying that,
00:10:55.12\00:10:59.49
"Hey, you know what?
00:10:59.52\00:11:01.62
We have a lot of folks
today... there's a part...
00:11:01.66\00:11:04.16
there's a negative
correlation between education
00:11:04.19\00:11:06.16
and the rates in which
people play the lottery.
00:11:06.19\00:11:07.93
Those
individuals who are earning
00:11:07.96\00:11:10.67
less than 25,000 dollars a
year will on average spend about
00:11:10.70\00:11:13.94
600 dollars a year
on lottery tickets.
00:11:13.97\00:11:16.24
Those individuals
who are earning over
00:11:16.30\00:11:18.57
a 100,000 dollars a year...
00:11:18.61\00:11:19.94
usually have a
little more education
00:11:19.97\00:11:21.54
will spend about 300 dollars
a year on lottery tickets.
00:11:21.58\00:11:24.98
Those individuals who are
earning 13,000 dollars a year
00:11:25.01\00:11:28.38
will spend
upwards... on average...
00:11:28.42\00:11:29.75
about 10 percent of their
income on lottery tickets.
00:11:29.78\00:11:32.02
We have a lot of these
individuals around here
00:11:32.05\00:11:34.32
who... there's
one... in Chicago,
00:11:34.36\00:11:36.52
there's one small
zip code in Chicago
00:11:36.59\00:11:38.79
that's spending almost
27 million dollars a year
00:11:38.83\00:11:41.46
on the South side of
Chicago, on lottery tickets.
00:11:41.50\00:11:44.17
Yvonne: 27,000 million?
00:11:44.20\00:11:45.90
27 million and then...
this is just... again...
00:11:45.93\00:11:50.14
the Bible says it clearly
00:11:50.17\00:11:52.04
"Of what use is
money in the hand of a fool
00:11:52.07\00:11:54.31
if they have no
desire to obtain wisdom?"
00:11:54.34\00:11:56.51
We're chasing the wrong
thing, we're chasing money...
00:11:56.54\00:11:59.35
we need to be chasing faith,
we need to be chasing values
00:11:59.38\00:12:02.15
and I tell people all the time,
00:12:02.18\00:12:04.25
I say, "Listen,
money is not the blessing,
00:12:04.29\00:12:07.09
money is the
symptom of the blessing,"
00:12:07.16\00:12:10.39
money is...
essentially it's like...
00:12:10.43\00:12:13.60
if you see the leaves of the
branches of the trees move...
00:12:13.63\00:12:17.87
people say,
"Well, that's the wind"
00:12:17.90\00:12:19.40
I say, "No,
that's not the wind...
00:12:19.43\00:12:20.87
you can't see the wind,
00:12:20.90\00:12:22.24
you just see the
result of the wind blowing. "
00:12:22.27\00:12:25.17
When you are truly blessed
00:12:25.21\00:12:27.48
you have those blessings inside,
00:12:27.51\00:12:29.78
you... the blessings start
to move and all of a sudden,
00:12:29.81\00:12:32.58
you start to move just
like those branches of the tree,
00:12:32.61\00:12:35.28
and you start to
produce like the tree,
00:12:35.32\00:12:37.82
we've been so accustomed
to eating from the tree,
00:12:37.85\00:12:40.39
we don't even know that we
can be like the tree itself.
00:12:40.42\00:12:43.29
So, as we start to
learn how to be producers
00:12:43.32\00:12:47.33
as opposed to only consumers,
00:12:47.40\00:12:48.73
we know that in order to do
that rely on these blessings
00:12:48.76\00:12:52.63
that are inside of here
that God gave you from day one
00:12:52.67\00:12:55.74
from before you were even
conceived... you have them,
00:12:55.77\00:12:58.81
so if we learn
about those things
00:12:58.84\00:13:00.78
then we can learn
to say, "You know what?
00:13:00.81\00:13:03.14
Hey, I can do like
they did in Lima, Peru,
00:13:03.18\00:13:05.45
that engineer that said
that they have essentially
00:13:05.48\00:13:08.78
there was a drought, and
that engineer in Lima, Peru,
00:13:08.82\00:13:11.89
took a billboard and he did some
whole... technological stuff
00:13:11.92\00:13:15.89
and I'm not an expert
on what he actually did...
00:13:15.92\00:13:18.49
but he humidified the air
00:13:18.53\00:13:21.73
and makes 90 liters of
water per day from thin air...
00:13:21.76\00:13:25.77
so when people... now...
before they didn't have water
00:13:25.80\00:13:29.77
but because someone
believed what he had inside,
00:13:29.80\00:13:31.97
he had that knowledge... he
creates water out of thin air.
00:13:32.01\00:13:34.68
There's someone in India...
00:13:34.71\00:13:36.14
they were poor,
they were in poverty,
00:13:36.18\00:13:38.45
someone looked at it, he said,
00:13:38.48\00:13:40.55
"You know what... I can
do something with this clay,"
00:13:40.58\00:13:42.92
he took the clay... he
molded it into refrigerators
00:13:42.95\00:13:45.25
and started to sell them
and he fed his family literally
00:13:45.29\00:13:48.49
making usable refrigerators
00:13:48.52\00:13:50.39
that kept food
fresh for four days on end
00:13:50.43\00:13:52.89
inside of dirt... he made
something out of nothing...
00:13:52.93\00:13:56.00
how does that happen?
00:13:56.06\00:13:57.57
Because people believe
that they have something
00:13:57.60\00:14:00.74
inside of them and
don't let their current
00:14:00.77\00:14:03.07
circumstances dictate
on how far they can go
00:14:03.10\00:14:05.34
and they learn this
thing called "contentment... "
00:14:05.37\00:14:07.78
"I'm not happy with my
state, I'm happy in my state. "
00:14:07.81\00:14:11.21
But financial literacy says
that yes you have the skills
00:14:11.25\00:14:14.58
and ability to do all you think,
00:14:14.62\00:14:16.22
we're going to remove money as
an obstacle from your success,
00:14:16.28\00:14:19.05
we're going to make it
an asset to your success
00:14:19.12\00:14:21.96
so you can build and
create anything you want.
00:14:21.99\00:14:24.79
Most of the majority of SP 500
00:14:24.83\00:14:26.59
were formed in
times just like today.
00:14:26.63\00:14:29.76
CNN, LexisNexis, Trader Joe's,
00:14:29.80\00:14:33.20
GM... all these...
Sports Illustrated...
00:14:33.23\00:14:36.34
all these are
companies that were formed
00:14:36.37\00:14:39.44
in times of economic crisis,
00:14:39.47\00:14:42.98
the first Apple
store opened in 2001,
00:14:43.01\00:14:45.81
it was deemed to be a failure,
00:14:45.88\00:14:47.82
by 2008 it was deemed
to be recessive-proof,
00:14:47.85\00:14:50.82
they opened it in
time of a recession
00:14:50.89\00:14:53.56
where everyone said,
"You shouldn't do it. "
00:14:53.59\00:14:55.16
Financial Literacy again...
it allows individuals to remove
00:14:55.19\00:14:58.99
money as an
inhibitor of their success
00:14:59.03\00:15:02.00
and helps them
create better FICO Scores
00:15:02.03\00:15:04.97
helps them learn how to budget,
00:15:05.00\00:15:06.70
helps them learn how
to put some money aside
00:15:06.74\00:15:08.90
so that they can
start their business,
00:15:08.94\00:15:10.27
helps them learn how
to put some money aside
00:15:10.31\00:15:11.84
so they can start a house
00:15:11.87\00:15:13.21
so we can leave a
legacy to our families
00:15:13.24\00:15:15.14
and not leave it to
the reverse mortgages
00:15:15.18\00:15:17.21
in trying to pimp our
elderly in our communities,
00:15:17.25\00:15:19.48
this is what financial
Literacy is doing everyday
00:15:19.51\00:15:21.75
and this is why Operation HOPE
00:15:21.78\00:15:23.12
is the people that I chose to
be a part of... about a year ago
00:15:23.15\00:15:25.62
to actually start
a national movement.
00:15:25.65\00:15:27.92
And give us a little
history on Operation HOPE.
00:15:27.96\00:15:31.53
Operation HOPE
was formed in 1992,
00:15:31.56\00:15:34.36
Chairman John
Bryant had a strong vision,
00:15:34.40\00:15:36.77
he's been my mentor for
about six or seven years
00:15:36.80\00:15:39.27
even before I joined HOPE
00:15:39.33\00:15:41.40
and he saw Compton
burning from the LA Riots
00:15:41.44\00:15:44.94
and said, "I want to
do something about it"
00:15:44.97\00:15:46.44
he has his own
investment management company
00:15:46.47\00:15:48.51
and he went back to
his hometown of Compton
00:15:48.54\00:15:50.48
and he did a banking tour,
00:15:50.55\00:15:52.21
he took some banks
and toured through Compton
00:15:52.25\00:15:54.42
and he saw that there were
people in the neighborhoods
00:15:54.45\00:15:56.92
and he saw them...
00:15:56.95\00:15:58.29
there are many
people in our neighborhoods
00:15:58.32\00:16:00.02
and I quote, unquote, "Eew"
00:16:00.06\00:16:01.86
that most people... stigmatized
and they saw negative pictures
00:16:01.89\00:16:06.03
and they saw these
negative images on television
00:16:06.06\00:16:08.30
so, he took them to the "hood"
00:16:08.33\00:16:10.97
and showed them that there are
many middle-class individuals
00:16:11.00\00:16:14.10
viable...
economically viable families
00:16:14.14\00:16:16.91
that we could invest in and that
we could throw our arms around
00:16:16.94\00:16:19.87
and they can produce and
be viable tax-paying citizens
00:16:19.91\00:16:23.88
and can add value to
the overall community,
00:16:23.91\00:16:27.12
from 1992... long
story short... till today...
00:16:27.15\00:16:30.25
Operation HOPE has helped
to direct almost 2 billion...
00:16:30.29\00:16:33.29
with the "b... " billion
dollars of private capital
00:16:33.32\00:16:36.26
into underserved communities.
00:16:36.32\00:16:38.06
They've helped over
2.6 million clients,
00:16:38.09\00:16:41.76
and that number is
growing every single day...
00:16:41.80\00:16:44.37
they have over
22,000 volunteers,
00:16:44.43\00:16:47.57
they have a footprint of
some sort whether it be youth
00:16:47.64\00:16:50.74
or volunteers or
adults in over 300 cities
00:16:50.77\00:16:53.64
and we just have contractors
being sited in places like
00:16:53.68\00:16:57.25
Abu Dhabi, Morocco, UAE...
00:16:57.28\00:16:59.98
then all
throughout the United States
00:17:00.02\00:17:02.25
and it is the first private
bank for the working poor,
00:17:02.28\00:17:05.95
for the first
time... someone can now...
00:17:05.99\00:17:08.52
as they look at a
check cashing place...
00:17:08.56\00:17:10.93
because our
mission is to shut down
00:17:10.96\00:17:12.93
check cashing
places... one at a time,
00:17:12.96\00:17:15.10
we are no longer
accepting the fact
00:17:15.13\00:17:17.20
that you are going to pimp on
the ignorance of our communities
00:17:17.23\00:17:19.30
without fighting,
00:17:19.33\00:17:20.67
and we don't
fight them by picketing,
00:17:20.70\00:17:22.80
if we don't fight
them by rabble rousing,
00:17:22.84\00:17:24.87
we fight them by putting up
a HOPE inside business model
00:17:24.91\00:17:28.41
across the street,
right across the street
00:17:28.44\00:17:31.08
from that check cashing place
00:17:31.11\00:17:33.45
so if they're going to come
to our people with ignorance,
00:17:33.48\00:17:35.78
we're going to come to
our people with education
00:17:35.82\00:17:37.95
with knowledge
and tangible things
00:17:37.99\00:17:40.76
where our people can
improve their credit for free,
00:17:40.79\00:17:42.72
my motto is... "Free 99"
00:17:42.76\00:17:44.93
or don't pay a
dime, just spend your time
00:17:44.96\00:17:47.96
and so, when people
come to our offices,
00:17:48.00\00:17:50.93
they can do as
much as they like,
00:17:50.97\00:17:52.33
they can sit down once a week,
twice a week if they have time,
00:17:52.37\00:17:55.40
and helped as long as you need,
00:17:55.44\00:17:57.44
they're going to
walk out of our office
00:17:57.47\00:17:58.81
with a 30-day Plan and
we say, "Come back... "
00:17:58.84\00:18:01.31
and that Counselor
is going to call them,
00:18:01.34\00:18:03.04
they're going to bug them,
they're going to hound them,
00:18:03.08\00:18:05.71
just like a
financial coach would
00:18:05.78\00:18:07.55
to say, "We want to make
sure that you come back in
00:18:07.58\00:18:10.55
and keep on... and
they never spend a dime,
00:18:10.59\00:18:13.25
we had a story...
one young lady in D.C.
00:18:13.29\00:18:15.92
she came in... and
well she was declined
00:18:15.96\00:18:19.09
six times for a business loan,
00:18:19.16\00:18:21.00
she just had a dream
to start her business,
00:18:21.03\00:18:22.76
six clocked
times... she was declined
00:18:22.80\00:18:24.83
she came to Operation Hope,
00:18:24.87\00:18:26.63
she went through a
free 12-week course,
00:18:26.67\00:18:29.44
she went through a free
4-week credit-score communities,
00:18:29.47\00:18:32.81
she went through multiple free
00:18:32.84\00:18:34.81
one-on-one counseling
sessions to get her credit score
00:18:34.84\00:18:37.01
to go from... within
the 500s to the 700s,
00:18:37.05\00:18:39.71
she went through
multiple free sessions
00:18:39.75\00:18:42.52
to get her business plan tight,
00:18:42.55\00:18:44.09
we coupled her
with an enrolled agent
00:18:44.12\00:18:45.99
that volunteered
for free to help her,
00:18:46.02\00:18:47.79
with a Seed paid
volunteer for free to help her,
00:18:47.82\00:18:50.23
a year later, she walked
out with a 333,000 dollar loan
00:18:50.53\00:18:54.70
from an Industrial Bank
and she's breaking ground
00:18:54.73\00:18:57.27
on a brand-new spot.
00:18:57.30\00:18:58.67
These are the types
of things that you can do
00:18:58.70\00:19:01.17
if you're
creating hope for people,
00:19:01.20\00:19:03.10
opportunity for people
that wasn't there before
00:19:03.14\00:19:05.87
and the banks now are
understanding, like...
00:19:05.91\00:19:08.58
"Wait a minute... you mean
to tell me that I can instead...
00:19:08.61\00:19:12.05
as opposed to trying to look all
over the place for new clients,
00:19:12.11\00:19:15.28
I can look right
in the neighborhood
00:19:15.32\00:19:17.49
that I previously
thought was "the hood"
00:19:17.52\00:19:20.12
for clients... and
these are the same folks
00:19:20.16\00:19:22.22
that were going to
the check-cashing place...
00:19:22.26\00:19:24.29
they now can come
to us, well, sure,
00:19:24.33\00:19:26.36
we're going to invest in them,"
00:19:26.39\00:19:27.80
of the largest 50
banks in the Country,
00:19:27.83\00:19:30.03
38 are a part of
the Operation Hope.
00:19:30.07\00:19:32.10
They sit on their
Board, they fund them
00:19:32.13\00:19:34.17
or they volunteer for them.
00:19:34.20\00:19:35.77
Wow, so, let me ask you this,
where does the money come from
00:19:35.80\00:19:39.31
to fund Operation HOPE?
00:19:39.34\00:19:41.11
From Banks... again...
00:19:41.14\00:19:42.81
of the largest 50
banks in the Country,
00:19:42.84\00:19:45.01
38 are our
partners, they fund us,
00:19:45.05\00:19:47.85
they sit on our
Board, they volunteer for us,
00:19:47.88\00:19:51.02
we get private funding,
00:19:51.05\00:19:52.39
we've got private
monies from the ED...
00:19:52.42\00:19:54.72
we have tons of
national relationships as well,
00:19:54.76\00:19:57.06
John Bryant sits on
the Advisory Council
00:19:57.09\00:19:59.43
for President Obama
00:19:59.46\00:20:01.10
and he also served
with President Bush,
00:20:01.13\00:20:03.16
and he also served
with President Clinton,
00:20:03.20\00:20:05.20
and he also served
with President Bush one,
00:20:05.23\00:20:07.60
so, he's got
connections from the top down
00:20:07.64\00:20:09.94
so he's not partisan and
no one in HOPE cares about
00:20:09.97\00:20:13.81
the Democrat or
Republican, it's not about that,
00:20:13.84\00:20:17.58
it's not Democrat or Republican,
it's not about black or white,
00:20:17.61\00:20:20.85
it's about dreams... and
it's about what can we do
00:20:20.92\00:20:24.19
in a non-partisan way
to help all our people
00:20:24.22\00:20:27.49
whether those are
poor urban people,
00:20:27.56\00:20:29.26
whether those are poor, rural
individuals in the Appalachians,
00:20:29.29\00:20:33.16
so, it doesn't
matter where they come from,
00:20:33.19\00:20:35.93
if they got low credit
scores and they need some hope,
00:20:35.96\00:20:38.63
they need to come
to Operation HOPE,
00:20:38.67\00:20:40.24
we are giving them free
assistance every single day.
00:20:40.27\00:20:43.54
Wow! what's your website?
00:20:43.57\00:20:44.91
We're going to
put your website up
00:20:44.94\00:20:47.38
so that people
know how to contact you
00:20:47.41\00:20:49.84
because this is...
this is a critical, critical
00:20:49.88\00:20:54.15
piece of information
that you're giving us
00:20:54.18\00:20:56.52
and a critical organization
because if you don't know
00:20:56.55\00:21:01.32
that this exists,
00:21:01.39\00:21:02.72
you're going to keep going
to those check cashing places,
00:21:02.76\00:21:05.29
you're going to
keep getting turned down
00:21:05.33\00:21:07.30
by the different
banks but you're saying
00:21:07.33\00:21:09.20
that if they come to you,
they can learn step by step
00:21:09.26\00:21:14.60
how to get
their credit score up,
00:21:14.64\00:21:16.94
how to get a loan if they
need it to open a business,
00:21:16.97\00:21:20.21
I mean, this is...
this is really huge...
00:21:20.28\00:21:22.61
this is really huge.
Website: OperationHope.com
00:21:22.64\00:21:23.98
Operation Hope was
the first Nonprofit
00:21:24.01\00:21:26.38
that was approved by
regulators to be able to operate
00:21:26.41\00:21:31.09
inside of Bank Branches
so, we're inside Bank Branches
00:21:31.12\00:21:35.76
so you go to a Bank
Branch, you apply for a loan
00:21:35.79\00:21:39.73
and they decline you,
00:21:39.79\00:21:41.13
if we have HOPE
inside of that Bank Branch,
00:21:41.16\00:21:43.87
that Banker says,
"Wait, hold on, don't leave,
00:21:43.90\00:21:46.70
don't leave, go talk to
that HOPE Counselor over there,
00:21:46.74\00:21:50.21
there is another
route that you can go,
00:21:50.24\00:21:52.44
go talk to that HOPE
Counselor over there,
00:21:52.47\00:21:54.54
and then, work
with them for a while
00:21:54.58\00:21:56.54
and then come back...
00:21:56.58\00:21:57.91
you're not going
to have to spend...
00:21:57.95\00:21:59.68
don't spend a dime,
just spend your time
00:21:59.71\00:22:01.72
and come on back and we've
had many folks that do that,
00:22:01.75\00:22:04.85
the bankers
will send them to us,
00:22:04.89\00:22:06.29
we send them right back
and they can get the loan
00:22:06.32\00:22:09.36
and again, our unofficial
motto is: "No Loan Denied,"
00:22:09.39\00:22:12.86
we don't give loans
but we help individuals
00:22:12.89\00:22:15.50
put themselves in a
position to be able to make sure
00:22:15.53\00:22:18.03
they can say, "I'm not
denied to get that loan"
00:22:18.07\00:22:20.54
and so, again, no money
exchanges hands for our people
00:22:20.57\00:22:23.71
because again...
and you'll be amazed too
00:22:23.74\00:22:26.68
that... we'll
stand in line for...
00:22:26.71\00:22:29.54
for Nikes... and to
spend 200 to 300 dollars
00:22:29.61\00:22:33.88
but we won't spend 130
dollars for Nike stock,
00:22:33.92\00:22:38.15
well, we... it's
amazing on how many times
00:22:38.19\00:22:43.12
that people
essentially don't even believe
00:22:43.16\00:22:45.23
that we're offering
these services for free.
00:22:45.26\00:22:47.76
Yvonne: It's like,
"what's the catch, right?"
00:22:47.83\00:22:49.96
Ryan: Yes, it's all...
Yvonne: What's the catch?
00:22:50.00\00:22:52.07
You can't believe,
we've talked to Unions
00:22:52.10\00:22:55.17
and many times it's very
hard... it's very challenging...
00:22:55.20\00:22:57.81
and it
developed... you know what
00:22:57.84\00:22:59.41
because our people
have gone through a lot,
00:22:59.44\00:23:01.28
they've gone through a lot,
00:23:01.31\00:23:02.64
they've been taken
by a lot of people,
00:23:02.68\00:23:04.31
and you know,
whether they're watching
00:23:04.35\00:23:06.18
Montel Williams trying to get
the Payday loan on television
00:23:06.21\00:23:10.49
or Russell Simmons trying
to pimp with the "Rush Card"
00:23:10.52\00:23:14.12
to say, "Come, spend your
money to use your own money,"
00:23:14.16\00:23:17.69
every time they turn around,
00:23:17.73\00:23:19.69
there is somebody out there
trying to reach in their pocket
00:23:19.73\00:23:22.36
so I can definitely understand.
00:23:22.43\00:23:24.27
All I tell individuals is,
00:23:24.30\00:23:26.47
"Just try it...
keep your wallet at home
00:23:26.50\00:23:29.00
just bring your IDs
in case you're getting...
00:23:29.07\00:23:30.81
just make sure that
people can identify who you are,
00:23:30.84\00:23:33.38
bring your ID, just
come into the office,
00:23:33.41\00:23:35.78
keep your wallet, keep
your credit cards at home
00:23:35.84\00:23:38.25
and just try it and come
back as much as you want.
00:23:38.28\00:23:40.68
We want you to form a business
00:23:40.72\00:23:42.15
because that's
where the small...
00:23:42.18\00:23:43.52
that's where the growth from our
community is going to come from.
00:23:43.55\00:23:45.85
Internal gentrification
is going to start occurring
00:23:45.89\00:23:49.29
when we as a
people... understand
00:23:49.32\00:23:51.59
and we don't have to wait for
the ship to come in any longer,
00:23:51.63\00:23:54.36
we can learn how
to swim out to it,
00:23:54.40\00:23:56.20
or even learn how
to make our own ship
00:23:56.26\00:23:58.03
and sail for ourselves...
00:23:58.07\00:24:00.44
Yes, we don't have to
wait, we can learn now
00:24:00.47\00:24:05.74
how to get it...
how do we get it...
00:24:05.77\00:24:08.54
you are offering
information as to how to get it
00:24:08.58\00:24:11.51
instead of trying to...
00:24:11.55\00:24:13.11
instead of waiting
for it to be given,
00:24:13.15\00:24:15.92
we can go and get
it and another thing
00:24:15.95\00:24:18.65
that's interesting to
me too, Ryan, is that...
00:24:18.69\00:24:21.26
I'm hearing... like... I
always think about the inmates
00:24:21.29\00:24:23.79
and when they come
out, the ex-felons...
00:24:23.83\00:24:26.93
they're denied work,
00:24:26.96\00:24:28.63
they want to work
but they're denied work
00:24:28.66\00:24:31.03
but if they could
somehow get together,
00:24:31.07\00:24:33.37
pool their
resources, learn a trade,
00:24:33.40\00:24:35.67
start a business,
then they're not dependent
00:24:35.70\00:24:39.47
upon companies to hire them.
00:24:39.51\00:24:41.64
Ryan: Exactly.
00:24:41.71\00:24:43.04
So what you're saying is
00:24:43.08\00:24:44.51
one of the things
that your Organization
00:24:44.55\00:24:46.61
can offer... is
to ex-offenders...
00:24:46.68\00:24:49.52
helping them to
know how to move forward.
00:24:49.55\00:24:51.69
I'm glad you said that
because we are spearheading
00:24:51.72\00:24:55.09
one of the largest
movement of tangible services
00:24:55.12\00:24:58.53
for those who are incarcerated.
00:24:58.56\00:24:59.89
I'm in the prison every week
00:24:59.93\00:25:01.26
and I can't wait to go
back to prison... to just ask...
00:25:01.30\00:25:04.00
because we are helping those
across the Country in prison
00:25:04.07\00:25:06.87
to learn how to swim
out to their own ship,
00:25:06.94\00:25:10.37
you know, I tell those
individuals all the time,
00:25:10.41\00:25:13.38
it is the victim that
complains about the win,
00:25:13.44\00:25:16.34
it is the victor who makes
money off of making sail boats
00:25:16.38\00:25:20.25
and this is the
difference in my consent
00:25:20.28\00:25:22.78
that we have... when
we can take something...
00:25:22.82\00:25:26.05
and we can take nothing
and turn it into something.
00:25:26.09\00:25:28.79
Just last week, we
went... we did a book...
00:25:28.82\00:25:31.26
we do things like book drives,
00:25:31.29\00:25:32.63
we have a lot of
volunteers and they bring books
00:25:32.66\00:25:34.76
for those who are
in the world of prison
00:25:34.80\00:25:36.83
to just learn
about obtaining knowledge
00:25:36.87\00:25:38.87
we teach them
financial literacy,
00:25:38.90\00:25:40.40
we want them to leave with not
just 100 dollars and a bus pass,
00:25:40.44\00:25:43.77
we want them to leave with a
business plan and you know what,
00:25:43.81\00:25:46.68
the beautiful part about
leaving with a business plan,
00:25:46.71\00:25:49.04
because we're offering now
00:25:49.08\00:25:50.41
our 12-week free entrepreneurial
training program in prison
00:25:50.45\00:25:53.82
the beautiful
part about it is that
00:25:53.88\00:25:56.15
you don't have to
be an entrepreneur,
00:25:56.18\00:25:58.42
you might not ever
be an entrepreneur,
00:25:58.45\00:26:00.59
some people decide
not to pursue that route,
00:26:00.62\00:26:03.46
that might not be for you,
but the skills are for everybody
00:26:03.49\00:26:06.46
just because you don't
want to start your own business,
00:26:06.49\00:26:09.40
you need to learn
at least a skill set
00:26:09.46\00:26:12.73
of being self-sufficient,
of being responsible,
00:26:12.77\00:26:15.47
of learning how
to wake up on time,
00:26:15.50\00:26:17.41
you know, early to bed...
00:26:17.44\00:26:18.77
wake up early...
you get an oyster,
00:26:18.81\00:26:20.98
wake up late...
you just get the shell,
00:26:21.01\00:26:23.14
we got to make ourselves move
00:26:23.18\00:26:25.41
and this is what Operation HOPE
00:26:25.45\00:26:27.62
is teaching those
who are in prison,
00:26:27.65\00:26:29.35
we're starting a
National Initiative,
00:26:29.38\00:26:30.99
we have a National MOU
with the veterans, with the VA,
00:26:31.05\00:26:33.86
to make sure... all this
lip service being provided,
00:26:33.89\00:26:36.59
one out of seven folks
are homeless... our VA,
00:26:36.62\00:26:39.29
our Vets in this Country,
00:26:39.36\00:26:40.70
a lot of folks are
just providing lip service,
00:26:40.73\00:26:42.30
we're going to the VA,
we're going to the hospitals,
00:26:42.33\00:26:45.00
we're inside the
hospital in Detroit,
00:26:45.03\00:26:47.57
we're up in the
Bronx, Cleveland,
00:26:47.60\00:26:50.01
soon to be Tampa,
soon to be Orlando,
00:26:50.04\00:26:51.84
we're going
across the Country...
00:26:51.87\00:26:53.64
in VA hospitals
all across the Country
00:26:53.68\00:26:55.31
we're providing our
Vets with tangible resources
00:26:55.34\00:26:57.75
helping them
learn how to buy homes,
00:26:57.78\00:26:59.51
start businesses,
improve their credit
00:26:59.55\00:27:01.35
and get back into
a sustainable life
00:27:01.38\00:27:03.12
to become economically
viable in our Communities
00:27:03.18\00:27:06.05
because they
need our help as well,
00:27:06.09\00:27:07.42
youth aging our of
Foster Care is another soft spot
00:27:07.46\00:27:10.29
and we'll be
getting them as well,
00:27:10.33\00:27:12.09
so we're doing a whole
lot to really just make sure
00:27:12.13\00:27:14.06
that we are providing
tangible services to our people.
00:27:14.10\00:27:15.96
Yes, you... ah...
you are super busy
00:27:16.00\00:27:19.27
and we
appreciate all that you do,
00:27:19.33\00:27:22.54
I can't believe our
time is up, you have been...
00:27:22.57\00:27:26.37
this has been so
insightful and so informative
00:27:26.41\00:27:30.11
because our folks need to know
00:27:30.15\00:27:32.05
that they can swim to
the ship... I love that,
00:27:32.11\00:27:35.12
swim to the ship and
get it yourself, right?
00:27:35.15\00:27:38.15
Yes, absolutely, I mean,
I'll leave you with this,
00:27:38.19\00:27:40.99
Ephesians 1:3... please
people, read that verse,
00:27:41.02\00:27:43.56
Ephesians 1:3,
"Blessed be the God and Father
00:27:43.59\00:27:46.09
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
00:27:46.13\00:27:47.46
who hath blessed us
with all spiritual blessings
00:27:47.50\00:27:49.36
in heavenly
places in Christ... "
00:27:49.43\00:27:50.77
He has already
done it, because of God
00:27:50.80\00:27:53.80
but it's God waiting on
you, let's get it going.
00:27:53.84\00:27:56.07
Amen, thank you so much
00:27:56.10\00:27:57.84
and thank you for joining us
00:27:57.87\00:27:59.57
join us next time
because you know what?
00:27:59.61\00:28:01.48
It just wouldn't be
the same without you.
00:28:01.51\00:28:03.35