On November 28, 2011, branch staff from the neighborhood TD Bank conducted a Smart Banking workshop with KRA’s Camden, New Jersey, Out-of-School Youth (OSY), TANF, and General Assistance program participants. All participating customers were invited to open accounts on-the-spot, and to learn about effectively managing their accounts. OSY program participants, who attended the workshop as part of their Life Skills classes on Financial Management, were really excited about the presentation. Navi Perez, KRA Job Developer, stated, “Several youth are interns and receive stipends twice a month. An account with TD Bank allows them to deposit their hard-earned checks and to safely and responsibly track their earnings. Far too many of our customers use check-cashing services and buy money orders to pay their bills, the fees for which can really add up. We are just trying to expose them to another way of managing their money.” Anita Davis, KRA Program Manager, added, “The KRA Camden team is especially excited about the relationship with TD Bank, which is well known in the neighborhood for their volunteerism and support of community achievements, especially those involving our young people. In September, our OSY customers received backpacks from TD Bank filled with highlighters, pencils, pens, and notebooks, and now the Bank is opening student accounts with no fees or minimum balance requirements.”
