Community & Member Impact Report

There is no doubt that 2020 will go down in history as one of the most unexpected and unusual times our generation has ever experienced. The Global Pandemic took us all by storm — financially, emotionally, mentally, and physically. But in the face of this trying time, Spero Financial was able to share some HOPE — coming alongside our staff, members, and communities.

FOR OUR STAFF Remote Work + Safe Working Environment:

The majority of Team Spero was provided the necessary tools and resources to work from home. For those unable to work from home, increased sanitization and social distancing protocols were put into place to protect Team Spero as much as possible.

Kids Kamp:

When schools closed due to the COVID outbreak, we knew it would put a strain on working parents. To support our frontline staff that couldn’t work remotely, we created Kids Kamp — allowing employees to bring their children (K5-8th grade) to the corporate office during the working day. Staff voluntarily picked up shifts to supervise the children, and even some family members of staff came into help! Nine families brought their children, with an average of 6 children per day.

Kindness Week:

To elevate staff morale, we hosted Kindness Week — a fun, spirit-week like event in May. Each day, staff dressed up per the theme and had the privilege of giving away a daily $50 VISA® Gift Card to a lucky member. Staff also had the opportunity to select an organization — Harvest Hope Food Bank — to receive a monetary donation on behalf of Spero Financial.

FOR OUR MEMBERS 986 Skip-A-Pays

were provided to members at no-cost, allowing them to skip their next loan payment

91 mortgage members

deferred their mortgage payments for up to 90 days at no-cost

258 Emergency Assistance Loans

were funded for members, totaling over $1.2 million put into members’ pockets quickly

265 Paycheck Protection Program Loan applications

were submitted through Spero Financial’s joint effort with Lendio — totaling over $1.15 million in approved funding

FOR OUR COMMUNITIES Supporting the Families of Habitat for Humanity:

Since 2014, Spero Financial has provided Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County homeowners with a zeropercent, 30-year term mortgage. With the shock of COVID, Habitat anticipated 20% of their families would not be able to stay current on these mortgages as many worked in the service-industry that was so heavily impacted. Knowing the need, we were able to restructure the mortgages to allow Habitat families to weather these turbulent times. To date, over 90% of Habitat families are current on their mortgage!

#LiftUpLocal:

Due to COVID-19, small businesses faced loss of revenue, closures, and making life-altering decisions for their staff. At Spero, we were fortunate to be well positioned to weather the unprecedented time — allowing us to come alongside our local small businesses and support them as much as possible. In April 2020, we launched #LiftUpLocal — a social media campaign designed to spotlight local businesses and provide them with necessary resources to navigate the Pandemic as a business-owner. Twenty-three businesses participated. In total, the campaign reached 1.2 million people and was featured on both Wyff4 and Fox Carolina. Bill Rhodes with C Dan Joyner Realty participated noting, “Awesome, thank you so much! This is just what our community needs right now. I appreciate it more than you know.”

Operation Holiday Hope:

2020 was the inaugural year for Operation Holiday Hope with the goal to sprinkle a little hope during the holiday season after such a challenging year. We asked community members to nominate families in need. Of the 16 nominee submissions, four were chosen and given a $250 VISA Gift Card!

Virtual Reality Fairs:

Traditionally, our financial wellness initiatives are inperson, but for 2020, we shifted our game plan to virtual reality fairs. In the end, we reached 536 individuals through our financial wellness efforts, including hosting 5 workshops and virtual reality fairs. These resources became more important than ever in the face of the financial struggles created by COVID-19.

Scholarship Winners

Neal Dhankhode

Neal is a graduate of J.L. Mann High Academy. During his high school career, he was an active member of Youth Leadership Greenville, National Technical Honor Society, National Honor Society, and National Beta Club. In his free-time he enjoys bowling — winning two SC State Championships — and karate, where he has been practicing for 9 years and has received his black belt. In the community, Neal volunteers with the Shriners Children’s Hospital, creating a fundraising campaign during the Pandemic raising over $250 in three weeks. He currently attends the University of South Carolina with the goal of attending medical school after the completion of his undergraduate studies.

Kitara Henry

Kitara currently attends Erskine College and is studying Early Childhood Education. She also is a star-athlete on the Erskine Women’s Basketball Team and is the recipient of the Conference President Honor Roll. In the community, you can find Kitara volunteering at Loaves and Fishes Food Recovery, as well as Future Fleet Coaching. She is described by her peers as being considered top in her class in terms of professionalism, work ethic, and strength in disposition. Upon completion of her undergraduate studies, she plans to pursue a master’s degree.

Karina Wolfe

Karina currently attends Bob Jones University. There, she leads as the College Society Officer and Deputy Stage Manager of the High School Stage Crew. In the community, Karina volunteers with the Greenville Juvenile Detention Ministry and works as a media technician at Hampton Park Baptist Church. Her professors describe her as exceptionally creative and impeccably organized with a strong attention to detail. Upon completion of her Bachelor of Science degree, Karina is exploring pursuing a master’s degree.