Page 20 - Sonoma County Gazette January 2017

Educating Students for Life Skills
Boys & Girls Club of Sonoma Valley Students Complete Operation HOPE Financial Education Course
By Sunshine Hartwell
From a very young age I felt there was no set place
By Roxanne Treusdell
As part of its ongoing commitment to nancial education, Union Bank
for me in the world. I was born in Santa Rosa, but lived the rst 5 years of my life in Southern California with various relatives, sometimes with my parents who were extremely unstable. When I moved back to Northern California I lived with my dad’s mom whose extra room was the Carport, which is a type of Garage. I lived there with my younger sister and my older brother.
together with its partners at nonpro t Operation HOPE and Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley celebrated the latest class of nancially literate elementary school students at Flowery School. The ve-week Banking on Our Future course was taught by Union Bank volunteers Molly Fedorchak and Robin Gold and culminated with a recognition ceremony to recognize the students’ completion of the program in early December.
After a few years my older brother was so unstable
and such a “trouble maker” my grandma kicked him
out into the streets. That was a fate I never wanted,
so I kept my head down and did what I was told. My
dad was in and out of my life, often in jail and I rarely
saw my mother who was homeless most of the time getting high on the streets.
The Banking on Our Future curriculum features the Basics of Budgeting, Get Smart About Banking (Checking and Saving Accounts), Fundamentals of Credit, and Introduction to Savings and Investing, as well as “A Course in Dignity.” Each week students learned practical lessons by using hands-on calculations and real-world examples.
The period of time I moved the most was from ages thirteen to sixteen. I moved at least 9 times in two years until my younger sister and I moved into the house of my foster mom, Gayle. Living with Gayle was the best thing that happened to me in my chaotic life and for two and a half years I was stable and seemingly ready for college. I moved to go to Humboldt State and quickly lost the stability I had gained. I struggled with alcoholism and becoming homeless again. I dropped out of college, quit my job at retail store and came back to Sonoma County.
“At Union Bank, we believe nancial
literacy is an important life skill at any age,” said Union Bank Vice President and Senior Communications O cer Molly Fedorchak. “It’s always so rewarding to know that the skills we’re teaching these kids could stay with them for a lifetime – that’s why we’re so passionate about this program.”
The month I came back was the same month I started working at VOICES Sonoma. I have worked as the LGBTQ Youth Advocate at VOICES for over a year, and have received support to address my addiction, started working on my mental health in therapy and I have started my transition from female to male all while continuing to further my college education.
“The skills these children learn are the building blocks for a strong nancial future,” said Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley Chief Executive O cer Robert Hughes. “We are proud of what we’ve been able to achieve together with Union Bank and Operation HOPE to bring the Banking on Our Future curriculum to students at our Club.”
Fighting youth homelessness has become a main focus of mine at VOICES because I have identi ed it as the most basic need for youth to become stable in other aspects of their lives. I am currently working on a project called the Homeless Youth Demonstration as the chair of the Youth Advisory Board. Our goal is to examine youth homelessness in Sonoma County and take action from as many angles as we can. A group of current and former homeless youth will be addressing the issues facing youth who are experiencing homelessness. I have a lot of hope for this project and I know we will make a di erence.
Since 2011, Union Bank has partnered with Operation HOPE at a dozen Boys & Girls Clubs, reaching more than 300 youth.
“The Banking on Our Future program is a great way for students to learn about nance with age-appropriate lessons. We hope to help them make responsible nancial choices in the future,” said Operation HOPE Youth Empowerment Program Manager Brenda Johnson.
I sometimes still feel that there is not a place in the world for me, but I continue to create my own because I know I can. I now have the resources and support I need to move forward, and my wish is to bring that to others. Many youth have and continue to face similar situations. As someone who has had a hard time creating a space for myself, my passion lies in helping create a space for others.
Banking on Our Future was designed to elevate the dignity, hope, and economic self-su ciency of people in low-wealth communities through nancial empowerment. Since its inception, the program has reached more than 790,000 students in more than 700 schools and community-based organizations in the U.S. and South Africa.
Faith = Power
Flowery School students are joined by (Far Left) Operation HOPE Youth Empowerment Program Manager, Brenda Johnson, Boys & Girls Club Program Assistant at Flowery Kirsten Del Valle, Union Bank Senior Community Relations O cer Molly Fedorchak and Branch Manager Robin Gold.
Being a young person on the streets, I had to
make a name for myself. I had to earn respect
from my peers and prove myself to them. This
involved stealing, being a “look-out” when
others were stealing, being willing to ght,
putting in e ort to nding a place to sleep and
providing what I could, when I could, for our little tribe. This could be anything from clothes, toiletries, and blankets to alcohol, drugs and cigarettes. If I wanted my people to take care of me, I had to take care of them, as well. We considered ourselves a family, and family always looks out for one another.
20 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 1/17
By Jessica Fonseca
When I left foster care at 18 years old, I ended
up on the streets. For the next four years, I slept under bridges, along creek paths, in elds, and if I was lucky, I would stay with a friend for a few days here and there. Regardless, I always found myself back in the cold, dark streets of Sonoma County.
VOICES cont’d on page 21