Car Loan Program For Low-Income Families Expands To South Bay

SANTA CLARA (KCBS) — Getting a new set of wheels is becoming much easier for low-income families in Silicon Valley, as a car loan program expands to Santa Clara County.

Ways To Work is a national program that offers low-interest car loans to parents working towards self-sufficiency. Locally, the program is already in San Mateo County.

Regina Barrios had little difficulty getting to an event in San Jose Wednesday morning.

KCBS' Matt Bigler Reports:

"I drove my car that I got from Ways To Work. I got a little bit lost, but I'm here," Barrios said, calling her Honda CR-V a blessing.

"I use my car for work, to drop my kids [off] at school and also for myself to go to school at nighttime," she said.

Jeff Faulkner, president of the program, said the car loan is really just the beginning of their services.

"It just frees up one's life so much. We really work for them to build new habits so they can repair that credit score so they don't have to come back a second time. Ultimately that's the reason they came to us," Faulkner said.

Faulkner said the credit score becomes a barrier prohibiting a lot of their economic progress and ability.

With the help of Peninsula Family Service, the car program hopes to expand into Alameda County soon.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)