Programs

In 2003, My Brother’s Keeper launched Credentials for Credibility, a program which helps homeless adults obtain a driver’s license by offering access to free driver’s education.

The program was inspired by our conversations while making deliveries. On numerous occasions, we met unlicensed middle-aged adults who felt a great stigma and sense of inferiority because they lacked a basic skill which most teenagers possess.

Of equal importance, adults who lack a driver’s license also face a tremendous disadvantage in the work place. A 2005 study conducted at the University of Wisconsin concluded “possession of a driver’s license and car is a stronger predictor of leaving public assistance than even a high school diploma.”

For Credentials for Credibility, My Brother’s Keeper partners with area homeless shelters and driving schools whose accredited instructors go to the shelter to pick up students for driving lessons. When students are deemed ready, instructors accompany them to the Registry of Motor Vehicles and use school vehicles for the driving test.

My Brother’s Keeper provides strict program oversight and pays all associated costs: driving lessons, test registration fees, and the actual cost of licenses.

Since the program’s inception, 80% of our participants have successfully obtained their driver’s license.