Financial Empowerment before COVID-19
Driving to the Future
Carlos supports his wife and three young daughters by working for several delivery services. His livelihood is centered around owning a functioning car. He was at the repair shop more than at work and knew that it was time to buy a reliable vehicle. Carlos saw an advertisement for our DriveForward Electric loan program at his daughter’s preschool. A PFS Credit Specialist met with Carlos to create a budget that fit his family’s needs. He learned of the Peninsula Clean Energy $4,000 incentive towards the purchase of a used, plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (pHeV). Carlos purchased a 2014 Toyota Prius Prime and has a quality, dependable car, putting him on track towards greater financial stability.
COVID-19: Innovating Online
Our Financial Empowerment program staff have been busy shifting to remote services over the past months. In-person financial education workshops have moved online to meet the needs of our participants. One important service we provided to our loan holders was the option to defer loans. Other participants who were in need of groceries and essential needs have been given gift cards obtained through the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund.
Sandra, a Second Careers Employment Program (SCEP) participant, was placed as a crossing guard before school closures took effect. Our SCEP program staff were able to find her a temporary job as a Census worker, and then she was hired permanently.
Your generosity to PFS goes directly to the participants we serve. Not only are you changing a family’s life, you are changing future generations! Thank you for opening doors of financial stability to the community we support.