A SAVINGS-INCENTIVE PROGRAM for low-income residents of Riverside County helps with the cost of educational or vocational training, the purchase of a home or starting or expanding a business.

Individual Development Accounts (IDA) are special matched savings accounts that help people and families get into the habit of saving money. For every dollar participants put into this special savings account, they earn $2 by attending money management, credit counseling and other skills development classes.

That means if someone saves $2,000, they earn $4,000 for a total of $6,000 toward their home, business or education. Providing these matching dollars is a way to help hard-working, low-income families and individuals build a more secure future.

The program is available through the Community Action Partnership of Riverside County.

Participants in the program are asked to make monthly savings deposits of at least $20, save in the program for at least a year, attend a 15-part personal finance and money management workshop series, participate in assetspecific ownership preparation training and support one another through on-going peer support meetings.

Those eligible must meet certain income criteria and earn at least $20 a month from traditional wages or from some sort of self-employment.

The program has enlisted City National Bank, Citibank, Guaranty Bank and Altura Credit Union as partners. Participants must open special IDA savings accounts at a branch of one of those institutions.

For more information, please call the Community Action Partnership of Riverside County at 951.955.4900 or 800.511.1110 or visit www.capriverside.org