John Hope Bryant

President Clinton Announces the Program for the 2012 CGI America Meeting, Operation HOPE Founder to Speak

Operation HOPE and our newest innovation -- HOPE Business In A Box, powered by the Gallup-HOPE Index, will be featured as a "best practice" solution for America's 4th-12th grade "education to aspiration" crisis, which we believe is also linked to America's high-school dropout crisis, at the CGI America meeting on June 8th, 2012 in Chicago, IL. 

Read the complete announcement around CGI America and the CGI America Official Program for 2012 here.

20 Years Old Today: Operation HOPE 's Founder Reports on Progress

20 years ago today, on May 5th, 1992, the organization that would change my life and give my life both purpose and incredible meaning -- Operation HOPE -- was born.  

Born after the worst riot and civil unrest in our nation's history, I remember my own personal frustration in the hours and days following the rioting in South Central Los Angeles. I also remember precisely right where I was, at the exact time when our community seemed to come unglued.  I was standing in my westside offices for Bryant Group Companies, then located at Santa Monica and Sepulveda Boulevard in the Westwood Gateway complex buildings.  I was standing there, looking at my community burn.  

I will tell my own personal story in a separate post, but needless to say, what I saw, made me want to act.  And act we did.  Soon, Operation HOPE had assembled its first loyal employees, led by my chief of staff Rachael Doff who is still with me today, soon followed by Lance Triggs, now executive vice president, and not long thereafter came Mary Hagerty, now Mrs. Mary Hagerty Ehrsam, who is first senior vice president and global chief of financial literacy. Then came our own Jena Roscoe, who literally walked out the door from her last job at the White House working in the second term of President Bill Clinton, to run our then new Operation HOPE Office of Government Relations and Public Policy.  And then there was my best friend Rod McGrew, who was the first HOPE Corps volunteer for the organization.  And then there was Fred Smith, our first president, and so many others. Slowly, all the executive and senior leadership team pieces began to come together.

HOPE has four principle divisions, HOPE Coalition America, HOPE Financial Dignity Centers (featuring 700 Credit Score Communities), Banking on Our Future and our newest division, HOPE Business In A Box (inclusive of the Gallup-HOPE Index), and has now been on the move for 20 years, serving South Central Los Angeles and countless underserved communities across the country; even around the world, just like it.  

Here is a quick snapshot of our global results (not including the work and results of Global Dignity, a sister organization to Operation HOPE):

$1.4 billion – the amount raised and invested by HOPE in and for the under-served population, from private and public sources. 

1,000 Plus - the number low-wealth homeowners and small business owners created and funded with responsible mortgage and small business loans.   

Just one of these countless minority owned small business success stories is Drobe Clothing (http://www.drobe.com/Story.html). I purchase all of my professional suits from this HOPE success story, paying full retail, which is recycling black dollars too. Drobe was created by a young black man, not much older than myself when I started Operation HOPE, and now it employs 6 local people, pays its local taxes, and in so doing adds to the whole of Los Angeles.  This is the real story of where most jobs come from.

$500 Million - the value of the subprime mortgages that the Mortgage HOPE Crisis Hotline has modified or restructured in the subprime crisis, at no cost to the borrower. 

155,243 – the number of individuals directly assisted by the National Mortgage HOPE Crisis Hotline.

241,577 – the number of individuals educated in the homebuyer, credit, small business, EITC, and foreclosure prevention workshops.

150,000 – the number of individuals HOPE served in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  And we are still there, serving others years after.

$15 Million – the amount of Earned Income Tax Credits funded to survivors of Hurricane Katrina alone.

273 – the number of cities in the U.S. and South Africa where HOPE currently exists.

5,000 – number of current HOPE partnerships with private sector companies, non-profit organizations, schools and government entities.

30,369 – the number youth and adults educated through the Banking on Our Future program in South Africa alone.

45,828 – the number HOPE Cyber Cafés memberships, including the Cyber Cafe at 3721 South La Brea Avenue, in L.A.

2,000,000 – individuals served to date through HOPE’s Empowerment programs, Banking on Our Future, the HOPE Financial Dignity Centers and HOPE Coalition America.

Today, HOPE is headquartered at Wilshire Boulevard and Hope Street in Downtown, L.A. and led there by our president and chief operating officer Mr. Bill Walbrecher.

Reflections: Friend Reflects on Anniversary of Rodney King Riots, Then and Now

 

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Photo of key leaders on the occasion of the April, 2007 (15th anniversary) recognition of the Rodney King riots, and a community's active recovery.  Amongst them, civil rights icon Ambassador Andrew Young

Below are deeply reflective thoughts from a dear friend who, in his own unique and important way, also led the way to the rebuilding and revitalization of "community" following the Rodney King Riots/Civil Unrest.  I think his words are best, so simply read below:

"John, I'm looking forward to our 20th Anniversary of the Operation Hope Bus Tour commemoration my friend. By the way, I've heard some folks reference the 20th Anniversary of the riots/civil unrest as some sort of "20th Anniversary Celebration."  

Over 50 people died that horrible week; and over 1000 buildings burned to the ground.  It's nothing to celebrate.  If there was anything positive about it, it was that the occasion caused the birth of a new beginning of consciousness and commitment among right-thinking men and women, to work hard to improve the lives of those less fortunate in our community.  It was a wake-up call like none other.

 

We should mark the occasion by remembering those who died, those who suffered so greatly, and rededicating ourselves to the work before us.  It's not a celebration; but a commemoration and remembrance and re-dedication.

 

Hope you are doing great - and we'll see you soon!  Look forward to the tour!

 

Warm regards,  Jonathan (Weedman)"

 

Operation HOPE Staff Wish John Hope Bryant A Happy Birthday Week!

 

Aaron Doff With The Most Hilarious Birthday Video Ever

 

What Birthday's Are (Really) For....

People who know me, know that I am not really big on celebrating my own birthday, unless it is about something larger than me and my birthday.  I am excited about EVERY day in my life.  Everyday, is my birthday as far as I am concerned, because God gave me LIFE (through my amazing mother and father), and I really try to honor that commitment between Him and I every day.  Every day is a gift.

That said, I think I missed the entire point of birthday celebrations, until maybe this Saturday evening when Ms. Natasha L. Foreman, a special person in my life, organized a surprise birthday party for me at my home. Wow ~ are the only words that I have for the feelings I experienced on this evening.  And while I am generally uncomfortable with folks showering attention on me "just because," what I realized on Saturday was that it really was not "about me" per se. It was about love.  It was about allowing and letting people who love you, and care for you, express it. Show it. Showing up for a special evening such as this (whether in person, by phone or by video, literally from around the world -- also organized and produced by Natasha Foreman), is part of that expression of love.

And I LOVED my special love gifts, including this jointly signed photo of me from my childhood (stop laughing...), and believe it or not -- TWO 8-TRACK TAPES (I loved it!) from my friends De'Leice Drane and Dr. Bernice King. And then there was the 70's, 80's and 90's styled SOUL TRAIN dance line, which was beyond AMAZING. I hope those tapes get properly burned (smile).