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Ways to Work was featured on National Public Radio.
Click here to listen to NPR locally and one family's story of success.
What is Ways to Work?
- Family Service Association, in cooperation with the Alliance for Children and Families, offers this loan program to families who are struggling to become economically self-sufficient.
- For more than 20 years, Ways to Work has made it possible for parents who have no credit history or a blemished credit history and who meet certain criteria to borrow money from local banks to purchase or repair used cars.
- Reliable transportation will make it possible for a parent to keep a job or to seek out a position with better pay or benefits, or an unskilled parent to complete a training or education program.
Why is Ways to Work Needed?
- Families served by Ways to Work have no financial security, few assets, and an unstable credit history. When a crisis occurs, especially one related to transportation, they risk losing a job or the ability to get a job, to stay in school or a training program and face difficulties with childcare.
- The Ways to Work loan program is working to solve this problem by directing families towards their own financial responsibility and self-sufficiency.
- Families are not just given a loan, but are provided the financial education and skills necessary to get them back on track. The goal is successful transition to long-term financial independence and security.
How Does it Work?
The Ways to Work program provides small loans to parents who cannot get loans elsewhere and meet certain guidelines. The purpose of the loan is to help family members purchase or repair automobiles so that they are able to keep a job and care for their families.
Loans of various sizes, ranging from up to $750 for car repairs up to $4,000 for purchasing a used car, are given to families in need. Applicants are required to repay the loan within two years. Like a bank or a credit union, Ways to Work uses a pool of money at modest interest rates; when the money is paid back, it is loaned again.
Applicants receive case management services designed to help them achieve their financial, educational and employment goals. They establish positive relationships with lending institutions leading to improved credit standing.
To Be Eligible for a Low-interest Car Loan from Ways to Work you must:
- Be a current resident of Bucks County
- Have received TANF or food stamps in the past 12 months
- Be at least 18 years of age
- Have one or more dependent children age 17 or younger
- Have a valid Pennsylvania Driver?s license
- Be currently employed for a minimum of 20 hours per week
- Have been employed for at least 4 months at the time of application
- Be unable to obtain an auto loan from other reputable sources
- Have sufficient income to repay the loan
- Meet certain income eligibility
How Can Ways to Work Help You?
Ways to Work can help people who find themselves struggling in all kinds of situations. Single parents, married couples, a mother returning to the workforce, a father who is going back to school. The Ways to Work Program Can:
- Provide you with a working vehicle so you may keep your job and maintain your family unit;
- Direct you towards your own financial responsibility and self-sufficiency;
- Provide information and referral to other resources that can offer additional support to your family;
- Teach basic financial skills, like household budgeting and credit counseling to prepare you to successfully pay back your loan and gain some financial independance; and
- Help you establish a good relationship with a bank for your future ecomomic success
For more information, please contact Michelle Evans at 215-757-6916 ext. 220.
Click here for a complete Ways to Work brochure.
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