SUCCESS STORY: FAMILY SERVICES – WAYS TO WORK

At 26, Keira became a single mother to two daughters, ages 6 and 3. She had to file for bankruptcy because she was not working and could not continue her financial obligations for all of her bills. She eventually found a job and struggled to get a handle on her debt.

After her husband left, Keira needed a car not only to work, but to get her children to school, childcare and medical appointments or to get groceries for the week. The bus stop was two blocks from her house and difficult to manage with two young children. A co-worker told Keira about the Ways to Work Program and she applied. The Loan Committee considered all the circumstances of her life and believed that she was a good candidate for a loan.

For Keira, having a dependable car has meant getting to work on time and even led to her promotion to administrative assistant. The loan has given her the opportunity to begin re-establishing credit, which will open up even more new opportunities. For Keira, having a job and her own car has helped her be an example to her children that with hard work, anything is possible. She says, “I just want to be the best mother I can to my children, give them all I can, take them as many places as I can, and show them by example what it means to be a responsible adult and a loving parent.”