Banking Kindred SpiritsRev. Mario Howell, speaking as part of People Improving Communities through Organizing, led a prayer scolding Bank of America for the way they treat their customers. “We don’t want just one or two to get modifications,” he said, “we want everybody to get a modification! We want everybody to get a new loan! We want everybody to stay in their home!”

PICO is calling its 1,000+ member congregations around the country to take their money out of Bank of America.

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The Claim Your Change campaign offers another reason to move your money: to save the environment. Big banks take the money you deposit and use it to lend to huge multi-national organizations who are rarely concerned about their impact on the land and local economy. And because of the way the banking system works, for every dollar that you deposit into a bank they can lend ten. So moving $100 to a community bank or credit union takes $1,000 out of the big banks’ ability to fund things like hazardous coal power plans, and puts that money back into your local community. Watch the video: