ROCHESTER, N.Y. – A program called Driven to Success is helping people with low to moderate incomes buy a car, which is often essential in getting and keeping a job.
Karen Delgado is a walking success story, made possible by dogged determination, unceasing support and the chance to buy a car.
“I was able to secure now employment opportunities, I was able to exponentially at this point increase my income,” Delgado said.
That enabled her to buy a house and start a life coaching business called Resilient Phoenix Coaching. Incredible life changes for the mother of three who was a student at St. John Fisher University when one night changed her trajectory. Her then-boyfriend became violent.
“At one point he just came up to me, grabbed me by my neck and bashed my head into the wall,” Delgado said.
She suffered head trauma and a burst eardrum. Slowly she healed physically and mentally, and she says the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Rochester helped her financially.
Deanna Dewberry, News10NBC: “When you heard about the Driven2Success program what goes through your mind at that point.”
Karen Delgado: “I need that. That’s all there is. I said I need that.”
Chad Rieflin, Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Rochester: “Credit is such a huge barrier in many cases for folks to get an auto loan that’s actually going to be reasonable and affordable.”
That’s where Consumer Credit Counseling Service comes in. Clients are matched with a counselor who helps them identify ways to improve their credit, compile information for buying a car.
Chad Rieflin: “And then they’ll act as an advocate for that client with our lending partners and they’ll make recommendations to our lending partners.”
The program and application are free to participants. If the client gets a loan through one of a CCCS partner lender, the lender donates $500 to CCCS to be used toward running the program. In some cases, the $500 is built into the client’s loan which is disclosed to clients. Since June of 2023, more than 1,500 have applied for the program and more than 525 have received counseling. More than 100 clients were approved for loans with local lenders.
Through those lending partners, clients get better rates than they would in the open market. As for Delgado, the car she bought through the program 10 years ago still serves her well.
“Car has been through hell and back with me, but it’s still provided me opportunities,” Delgado said.
Consumer Credit Counseling of Rochester recently expanded the program. In addition to Monroe County, it’s also available in Ontario and Wayne Counties.
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