Family Services of Western Pennsylvania

The Program Serves a Population with Great Needs:
Family Services' Ways to Work and Keys to Success programs provide loans to low income working individuals (most of whom are custodial parents) who have challenging credit histories so that they can purchase or repair an automobile needed for transportation to work or to employment support services such as child care and job training activities.  Program participants must be employed 20 hours per week for at least 3 months and have household earnings of less than 250% of the federal poverty level.  The majority of participants currently served are female African American heads of households.  United Way funds support a full-time staff member to market the program and service loans, and support for financial literacy training.

The Program Achieves Measurable Results:
Ways to Work is a national program which has been operated locally by Family Services for over seven years.  In 2007-08 the following outcomes were achieved:

• 59% of individuals reported an average increase of 16% in income during the 2-year term of the loan;
• 57% of participants had a credit rating increase (of average of 43 points); and
• 32% of clients showed increases in financial literacy.

The Program Utilizes a Sound Approach:
Family Services' Ways to Work program was honored at the 2006 Ways to Work National Conference as Program of the Year for the most outstanding performance in high loan production and low default rates.  The program not only provide the loans but incorporates a required financial literacy course, intensive follow up as soon as payments are even slightly overdue and provides thorough third  party examinations of all vehicles prior to purchase.  Family Services refers clients to other agency services or community partners as needed.  This agency has the potential to achieve community-wide impact through further expansion of its credit enhancement activities.  Agency is 2008 winner of the Alfred N. Wishart Award for Excellence in Non-profit Management.

The Proposal is Aligned with Preferred Outcomes:

• Secure and Maintain Employment
  • 90 clients will maintain/achieve employment
• Increase Household Financial Knowledge and Build Savings
  • 150 clients will have credit score increases (average of at least 15 points)