An attempt at financial reform must be preceded by education. Georgette “Gigi” Dixon understands this precept. In her role as Wells Fargo & Company’s senior vice president and director of national partnerships, she recently introduced a new financial education reform initiative at Rainbow PUSH’s 11th Annual Creating Opportunity Conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Atlanta.
“Wells Fargo strongly believes that the solution to today’s challenging financial times is education,” offers Dixon. “We are focused on long term economic development in the African American community, but we know our customers must be empowered with the knowledge they need to succeed. This partnership with the Citizen Education Fund [an affiliate of Rainbow PUSH] will provide a powerful avenue that fosters a more open dialogue.”
In an effort to further drive this perspective home, Dixon advises, “The program is designed to provide access to financial education through churches, clergy and financial ministry programs across the nation. Rainbow PUSH has a wonderful One Thousand Churches Connected program that has about 1,500 churches as members. We will go into the church [to conduct] a train the trainer program and help financial ministry coordinators [by granting] them access to the tools they need to bring this financial education to [its parishioners]. The ‘Hands on Banking’ curriculum is free. It was designed by real educators and underwritten by Wells Fargo to edify communities, individuals and small businesses.”
Recent studies revealed that black savings power is dismal, lagging behind whites and putting our future at risk. Hands on Banking was designed to address this issue by educating church members and communities on how to manage their money, establish credit, invest and save for the future. –yvette caslin
To learn more about this free initiative, visit www.handsonbanking.org.
