WASHINGTON, Dec. 21, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Lisa M. Borders, Chair of The Coca-Cola Foundation, recently announced a $1 million contribution to Operation HOPE to provide financial education to women and girls primarily living in the southeastern United States.  Borders shared details of the initiative during the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Agency for International Development's Financial Inclusion Forum. The contribution, supported by The Coca-Cola Foundation, Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, Inc. and Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, will fund the expansion and delivery of Operation HOPE's nationally-acclaimed financial literacy, career training and entrepreneurship programs. 

"Many women never really learn to be financially literate, especially those in underserved communities," expressed Borders. "The Coca-Cola partnership with Operation HOPE will teach women the language of money and will empower them with the skills to manage their finances for a lifetime of financial dignity."

The funds will support Operation HOPE programs that provide women with the financial literacy necessary to manage finances, increase credit scores, establish their businesses and achieve their "Silver Rights."    

"Financial Inclusion is a key part of expanding and strengthening the economic fabric of America, " said John Hope Bryant, Operation HOPE founder and member of the President's Advisory Council on Financial Capability for Young Americans. "Through Project 5117, Operation HOPE aims to raise the financial acumen of underserved communities."

This is the second collaboration between Operation HOPE and Coca-Cola. In 2014, the two collaborated on a series of events entitled "The Atlanta Economic Empowerment Tour."  With a focus on Bryant's best-selling book How The Poor Can Save Capitalism, the tour demonstrated the need for a larger, dedicated program to empowering women and served as the catalyst for this recent initiative.

ABOUT OPERATION HOPE, Inc.

Since 1992, Operation HOPE has been moving America from Civil Rights to Silver Rights by providing financial and economic empowerment tools and services, earning it the distinction as the nonprofit private banker for the working poor. Through its core programs, HOPE has provided financial dignity and economic empowerment to over 2.5 million individuals worldwide, turning check cashing customers into banking customers, renters into homeowners, small business dreamers into small business owners and minimum wage workers into living wage consumers. For more visit www.operationhope.org.

ABOUT THE COCA-COLA FOUNDATION

The Coca-Cola Foundation is the global philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Company. Since its inception in 1984, the Foundation has awarded more than $820 million to support sustainable community initiatives around the world. For more information about The Coca-Cola Foundation, please visit http://www.coca-colacompany.com/giving-back

About The Coca-Cola Company

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, one of the world's most valuable and recognizable brands, our Company's portfolio features 20 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of 1.9 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates. For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo, visit our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com or find us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/the-coca-cola-company.

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SOURCE Operation HOPE

Related Links

https://www.operationhope.org