Community First Unites With Opportunity Cars!

Opportunity Cars is a car ownership program with the goal of helping low-income working families find affordable and reliable cars.

Prineville, OR - Community First Bank has agreed to collaborate with The Partnership to End Poverty (formally Central Oregon Partnership) for the new Opportunity Cars Program.  Opportunity Cars is a car ownership pilot program.  The mission is to enhance mobility and improve family economic self-sufficiency.  The goal is help low-income working parents find affordable and reliable automobiles.   This pilot program began in Prineville on November 15, 2007, with plans for expansion to other communities in the region. 

This program partners The Partnership to End Poverty (supervising the overall program) with NeighborImpact (providing a class in financial fitness); two local auto dealerships - Robberson Ford of Prineville and Active Towing, LLC (to determine which cars are available and to negotiate the sale price to meet the needs of the client); and Community First Bank (to process a low-interest loan for the client).

Robin B. Freeman, President and CEO of Community First Bank stated "this not only allows the client to purchase the car, it also gives them an opportunity to build a positive credit history.  Community First Bank will also provide banking services and educational tools to the clients."

After the car is purchased, Opportunity Cars provides support services such as basic car maintenance classes and safe driving courses. The Financial Fitness class and Basic Car Maintenance courses are open to the community. There are other fantastic connections through this program, such as connecting with Commute Options of Central Oregon for their Ride Share program. If you are interested in learning more about car ownership and the support services provided or know of someone who could benefit from Opportunity Cars, please call (541) 447-9293. 

"The benefits of the Opportunity Cars program are obvious.  Car owners have enhanced mobility which increases family economic security.  They are also saving much more money on the purchase of the car through this program than if they would have purchased the car on their own. This program is about more than just facilitating the car sale; it's a built-in advocacy program around child-care resources, housing resources, education resources, and achieving personal goals" Freeman added.  "Community First Bank sees this program as a natural fit for their company philosophy, as this is a program targeted at helping the working families of Central Oregon."

Prineville Bancorporation (OTTB:PNVL.OB)  is the holding company for Community First Bank which operates eight bank branches located in Prineville, Bend, Redmond, Madras, Terrebonne and La Pine, Oregon.  Community First is the only bank in the region that re-invests 100% of its local deposits back into Central Oregon.  We are   deeply involved in the communities in which we serve and are committed to providing a superior level of service to local individuals and businesses. 

For more information, please contact:

Julie Vandersluis
555 NW Third Street
Prineville, OR 97754
541-447-4106
vandersluis@MyCommunityFirst.com

Bobbi Jo Piefer, a single mother of a 1 year old, was referred to Opportunity Cars through the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council JOBS program at the Work Source Building on 3rd St in Prineville.  She was using her mother's car to get around town. She is a TANF recipient and was desperately trying to find work with a bit of a run-down vehicle.  Her mother works near Active Towing and knows Tim Rapp, the owner.  Bobbi saw a car that she liked on his lot.  She asked him about the car and said that she had just connected with Opportunity Cars.  Because Active Towing was one of the primary partners of Opportunity Cars, Bobbi was able to get into a car quickly.  Bobbi found child-care for her son and   began working for the JOBS Plus Program through Department of Human Services.  She will be working full-time beginning January 1 and she got her car through Opportunity Cars all within a couple of weeks. On top of all of that, Bobbi is opening her first savings account with Community First Bank.  It was Bobbi's drive and dedication to improving her situation that allowed her to become self-sufficient.  Her story will inspire other single parents to maintain hope that there are programs and advocates out in the community that want to help for all of the right reasons.