NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – About 100 community members took advantage of the Increasing HOPE Financial Training Center's Money Fair on Saturday.
Increasing HOPE, which stands for “Helping Others Prosper Economically,” held an event to celebrate its 19th anniversary at the Opportunity Center in North Charleston. The event educated community members and businesses about the importance of financial literacy.
Incring HOPE serves as a one-stop shop to help individuals manage their money by providing resources to acquire, retain, and preserve assets.
Dorothea Bernique, founder and executive director of Increasing HOPE, wants community members to be educated in all areas of personal finance.
The event featured a panel discussion with Congressional leaders including Rep. J.A. Moore (D-Berkeley, Charleston), Rep. Kathy Landing (R-Charleston), and Sen. Sean Bennett (R-Charleston, Dorchester). Began. The three councilors discussed the financial issues their community is experiencing and what can be done to resolve them.
Sen. Bennett said he strongly believes that the first step in moving someone from the poverty level to the middle class is graduating from high school. Then you graduate from high school, get a full-time job, and wait to have kids until you get a full-time job.
“And if you do those things in that order, that alone gives you a better chance of moving into the middle class,” Bennett said. “So we need to make sure that we have programs in high school that keep kids interested and provide a variety of career paths for those kids.”
During the panel discussion, legislative leaders emphasized the importance of educating young people about financial literacy early on.
“The skill sets we learn when we're young tend to stay with us for the rest of our lives. If you don't learn about saving until high school or later, it won't have as big of an impact on your life.” We don’t give them,” Bernik said. . “PYF, if we learn to pay ourselves first and practice it throughout our lives, you will become that millionaire they talked about today.”
The event also featured more than 30 vendors offering insurance, investing, mortgage and banking information and resources. Throughout the day, they took two classes: Housing and Credit 101 and Starting a Small Business.
Pam Bryant, vice president and lead specialist for philanthropy and community impact at the Wells Fargo Foundation, recognizes the importance of connecting with organizations like Increasing HOPE to build community and personal wealth. He said he is doing so.
Mr. Bryant also mentioned the importance of young people gaining financial literacy early on.
“Habits start early. Both good and bad habits teach young people and children from an early age in elementary school the importance of saving money, paying for yourself first, and being responsible when borrowing money. If we can start teaching them that,” Bryant said. “If you can start teaching those skill sets early on, it becomes a skill set that lasts into adulthood.”
Bernique recommends that if you weren't able to attend the event but would like to learn more, visit the company's website, which offers financial classes throughout the year that are open to everyone. She said anyone is welcome to call 843-225-4343.
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