-: Suyapa Miranda,
the executive director of Prepare and Prosper.
So we're actually one of the largest tax clinics
in the State of Minnesota, free tax preparation.
We've actually got two programs.
One is our tax preparation program.
The other one is financial capability.
And in the tax preparation program,
because it's been around for 50 years,
I mean, it's definitely like your great grandpa
maybe have gone to Prepare and Prosper at this point.
Where normally, people would just come into the centers,
our VITA centers.
So we have quite a few different VITA centers
that are within their city.
So we can contract with several community organizations
at that time too.
So now it's more of a process
that looks like somebody's making a phone call
or registering online for an appointment.
And we've got drop-off centers.
And then we can also do virtual as well.
I think that there is something really empowering
about an organization that works on economic justice,
especially for the financial capability pieces
of what we do too as an organization,
and understanding some of the need
for our community to have a place that's reputable,
a place that's trustworthy.
We have one of our programs, Money Mentors,
that's literally a judgment-free zone,
where people can have a conversation,
which is kind of taboo about money,
and being able to be with another group of cohorts
to other women in those programs
and having conversations about it.
And then they also have the extended version
of having a mentor associated with them too.
So in Fair Banking,
we get our community signed up for it,
and we've got...
It's completely open. There's no overdraft fees.
There's no minimum deposits in any of those accounts
we have with Sunrise Banks.
And in that, we're just trying to get everybody signed up.
And that also helps to build credit,
which is extremely important for community members
'cause we know that has the ability to hinder someone
from housing, from transportation,
anything that might be needed too
with credit scores as well.