The Ways to Work Family Loan Program

The Ways to Work Family Loan Program helps working parents to get a low-interest loan to purchase a used car or repair an existing vehicle. We are a non-profit program through Family Answers, Inc. that provides affordable loans to low-income families who lack access to fairly priced loans from traditional lenders because they have poor credit or no credit history.

Most borrowers use the loans (of up to $4,000) to purchase a car or repair one they already own. Ways to Work provides families with an alternative to predatory lenders who otherwise may lead them into buying unreliable vehicles at exorbitant interest rates, sometimes reaching 50% or more to customers who are already struggling to pay their monthly bills. Our loans are through Keystone Nazareth Bank and Trust (KNBT) at only 8% interest for a term no longer than 24 months. Our low interest rate helps keep their payments low and affordable. Our aim is to help families become more stable.

Ways to Work loans are used to help individuals remain in or move forward in their job or pursue their education by providing them with a means of transportation. The single largest barrier to our clients is transportation. Public transportation does not always meet their needs. The lack of a car or repeated car breakdowns can easily plunge a family living on a marginal income into a crisis. When a crisis occurs, especially related to transportation, they may risk losing a job, the ability to stay in school or in a training program, and face increased difficulties with childcare. Having reliable transportation, simply put, can give a family new hope.

Our Ways to Work offices are located in Lehigh, Northampton and Monroe Counties. Specifically in Allentown, Easton and Stroudsburg. To be eligible, you must:

• Be a parent of a child under 17 years of age.
• Live in one of our participating counties (Lehigh, Northampton, Monroe).
• Work at least 20 hours per week.
• Have been in continual employment for the past 6 months.
• Have Poor Credit or No Credit.
• Be able to afford a modest monthly payment.
• Be willing to create a budget for your family and work on improving your credit.

In effect, we require that each customer complete a financial orientation on credit, budgeting and debt management so that the end result of the program is not only to give them a car loan, and improve their credit but also to give them the skills necessary to become more financially stable and self-sufficient.

Again, we do not want to simply give another loan to families who have poor credit or no credit without helping them understand where they may have gone wrong in their finances in the past. Our financial counseling services aim to help them re-establish good credit. We offer assistance in finding a debt management program, financial fitness classes, home ownership programs and savings account programs. By paying off our loan every month, on time, our clients are creating a positive credit history that will enable them to move forward and help their families to become more self-sufficient.

We are in contact with all recipients throughout the full term of the loan, in order to provide ongoing troubleshooting and support. When clients experience difficulties that hinder them in paying their loans, we always ask what we can do to help. Whether it is because of loss of employment or the need for counseling services, we make sure each client is given information about any and all resources that will assist them.

For more information, contact our Ways to Work offices at:

Corporate Programs

Survivors of Suicide (SOS)

Geriatric Care Management Services