HOT 97 and Chase Bronx Community Center Host Community Event "The Bronx Talks Money"

Short N Sweet Ent

Photo Credit: coach_taybx

If someone were to ask you today, do you want to become a millionaire more than likely the answer would be yes? It doesn’t even have to be a million dollars but given the chance to increase the amount of money you make, it would benefit how one lives their life. Historically, in improvised and underdeveloped neighborhoods, in one way or another, residents haven’t received the resources and support to manage money for their families to thrive. The mindset has been about surviving and with that comes poor money management and families living paycheck to paycheck. Conversations surrounding “finances” can be uncomfortable but imagine a safe space where one gets the help they need to support their families.

On December 19th, in a highly engaging and well-needed conversation Chase Bronx Community Center, at the Fordham Road location, and Hot 97 hosted an event, “The Bronx Talks Money” for the community to educate and help residents on the topics of budgeting, saving, and building credit.  

To start the evening off, Heavy Hitter DJ E-Stylez hopped on the 1’s and 2’s and played the hottest records in the music industry while people networked and got settled in.

Once the event started rolling, Chase representative Sherlyn Santana wasn’t afraid to jump right in and lead a powerful workshop about understanding and building credit. People not only learned the impact of their credit score but how important it is to know how much you are saving versus how much you are spending monthly. This eye-opening activity allowed people to see that sometimes it isn’t about the big purchases but that their small purchases and daily subscriptions can impact their monthly budget.  “I think that credit it’s the foundation of financial wealth because it helps us obtain and understand generational wealth. We need to break the barriers,” said Santana. Once given the tools, the barriers will start to break down and families and communities can live the life they want without being on eggshells.

It was time for the main event and HOT 97’s own on-air radio host, mom, author, and entrepreneur, Nessa, Vice President Community Manager at JP Morgan Chase Sherlyn Santana, Managing and Director at JP Morgan Chase Monica Nation, and moderator Executive Director at MJP Morgan Chase Lorane Rodriguez took the stage to partake in an open and honest conversation about this new partnership, their personal relationship with finances, and how they plan to pour back into the community.

“HOT 97, they are the voice of the people. They are the truth-tellers. It’s not going to be all about fluff. We wanted to be intentional about who we work with and connect with someone trustworthy and who wants to help the community. We want to speak the language, do the work, and show up for the community”, said Nation. 

Photo Credit: coach_taybx

“Everything that we do at HOT 97 is intentional and we are always speaking the truth and that’s always going to be important. I’m really thankful for our nonprofit “Know Your Rights Camp”, which I have with my husband. We do the work, we care, and we are in the community. It just shows that it’s a full-circle moment of giving back, and when you can, paying it forward. The knowledge and resources that we are all providing, I wish I had growing up but this is what this is for. We share it, you take it, and you pass it on”, said Nessa.

At the end of the evening, everyone left with a signed copy of Nessa Diab’s and Colin Kaepernick’s phenomenal book, “We Are Free You & Me”.

You might be feeling overwhelmed and have asking yourself where do I start when it comes to finances but the representatives at Chase Bank made it very clear that they are here for the people in the community and the first step is to go in and ask for assistance. Once that happens, the sky is the limit and now we can start to break those generational barriers and live the life that we want and deserve to live. If you have any further questions please feel free to go to the Chase Bronx Community Center and get all the help that you need.  

Written By: Shauntay Hallett

Until Next Post... Coach Tay