Employers Know Prosperity Matters to All Employees

Banking Exec Shares Life, Banking
Skills With Community

MIAMI - Beverly Kirton-Smith worked her way up from a teller to a top banking executive while raising two kids on her own and attending college.

Now the busy community development manager at 
SunTrust Bank is helping others starting out just like her to get ahead. 

“Part of my responsibility is to ensure that the bank is reaching out to the community and enhancing the life of its residents,” she said.

For the past two years, Kirton-Smith has worked as a volunteer tax preparer at Harvest Fire Ministries, one of 10 Prosperity Campaign Centers in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. She helps low-income individuals and families prepare their taxes and access benefits such the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit.

Kirton-Smith uses her one-on-one time with clients to explain banking, budgeting personal finance and the steps to becoming a homeowner. 

“A lot of people don’t have bank accounts and they just go to check cashing places that charge fees,” she said. “If we can provide the education to people and we can channel them in the right direction then we’re talking about prosperity.”

Want to volunteer just like Beverly? Contact Julia Craig at the Human Services Coalition. Email her: juliac@hscdade.org.