Will Anderson believes in the dignity of work and takes
his responsibility as a father very seriously. He has never missed a day of work in his four years of employment with Monroe County where he works the “B” shift. And each morning he transports his daughters, ages 14 and 18, to school. For most of us, reliable transportation is something we have and don’t think twice about. For others, who have limited resources and limited access to traditional credit, reliable transportation can be a tremendous obstacle to getting and keeping a job.
Will found his way to CFC’s Ways to Work loan program through a colleague. This program grants low interest loans to eligible parents who can’t qualify for traditional loans. Will received his first loan to help repair his 1983 Chrysler in 2004. According to Rick Burgholzer, Program Manager, “We could have set our watches by the consistent, on-time payments Will made.”
Ultimately, Will qualified for the maximum Ways to Work loan of $3,000 to purchase a “new” vehicle. And in 2006, he made the final payment on his 1996 Chevy Truck. “The people at Ways to Work were very kind to me, very professional,” he says. “So I wanted to be appreciative and courteous in paying my loans back because, as Rick told me, that money would go back into the program to help other people like it helped me.”
Would he recommend this program to others? “I’ve already recommended it and told others what it does for your self-esteem. I tell them I’m grateful to CFC because I wouldn’t have been able to make it or be where I am today without Ways to Work.”
