Client to Start College with New Car
posted 4/29/22 -- Aaliyah Hodge will start college this fall with a reliable car thanks to a partnership between LCCAA and Ohio Means Jobs Lorain County.Hodge is the first client to complete the By Car program under the partnership which expands benefits for participants. By Car matches earned income from participants who must save toward a car for use for work or school. Under the OMJ partnership, the maximum match increased from $4,000 to $6,000 and included the first year of insurance up to $2,500.
Hodge wanted to share her delight in her 2008 Ford Edge right away.
“The first place I drove in my new car was to my grandma’s house because I wanted her to be the first person to see my new car,” she said. “She loved it!”
By Car participants must complete a financial literacy class with LCCAA and Hodge said she learned a lot.
“The most surprising thing I learned was that inflation impacts retired people the most,” she said. “I mean it impacts everyone but because they are living on a fixed retirement income, the elderly are impacted the most.”
Hodge will major in art this fall and is grateful to have her insurance covered for the first year as well.
“Since I’m 18, insurance is really high for me and others my age,” she said. “It would be hard to cover it throughout the year while also having to worry about other living expenses and upcoming college. Having a year of insurance paid off really takes a lot of the stress away.”
To participate in the By Car program under this partnership with OMJ, start by contacting OMJ at 440-324-5244. You must complete some requirements through OMJ as well as the LCCAA financial literacy class. You must be living at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level ($55,500 for a household of four in 2022).