It’s hard to get to work without a car. It also makes it difficult to get a job in the first place, move up in the workforce or earn a better wage.
And it’s hard to get a car if you can’t get a loan.
Ways to Work, a proven national program, is coming to San Diego County to help working families improve their finances and secure short-term, low-interest car loans. Many families in the San Diego area have challenging credit histories, making it difficult for them to get the cars they need to support their family, at an affordable rate. Ways to Work has shown a strong return on investment and high success rate, helping struggling parents become more self-sufficient.
The program, the first of its kind in Southern California, has been launched by United Way of San Diego County and the Leichtag Foundation for a two-year pilot. Their investment will fund case management, financial education and other essential aspects of implementing the initiative.
The funders have selected two local organizations to implement Ways to Work: Community Resource Center will serve North County and Jewish Family Service will serve the rest of San Diego County. The national Ways to Work office provides the loan capital, and the local goal is to fund 80 to 100 loans per year.
Clients will primarily use the loans to purchase reliable, pre-owned cars that help them with their careers, reduce tardiness and absenteeism at work, access courses to improve their education and job skills, and meet their families’ needs, such as transportation to childcare, doctors’ appointments and school activities. Ways to Work also stresses financial skills, teaching participants about insurance, budgeting and how to save for repairs or routine maintenance.
For more information and eligibility requirements, visit http://www.uwsd.org/content/ways-work North County San Diego applicants can call Community Resource Center at 760-753-8300. Other San Diego area residents can call Jewish Family Service at 858-637-3008.
