On Nov. 8 from 10:30 a.m.- 4 p.m., the children and youth resources with CAPC (Child Abuse Prevention Center) put on the Road to Independence workshop inside of Danner Hall.
The Road to Independence was an interactive experience that mimicked the Game of Life. Students who came to the workshop picked up a clipboard that gave individuals an identity that included level of education, current job due to educational level and how much they make, and a monthly budget along with a mini calculator to calculate funds.
Many students were surprised by how hard it was to live off of the budgets they were given.
“$2,600 is not a lot of money every month. It’s very little. Even though it is a little I could still live off of it,” Kueleza Vega, a Delta student said. There were various booths that taught you about housing expenses, automotive expenses, documents/insurance, savings/banking and entertainment/travel.
According to Program Manager John Oliviera, it also aimed to teach individuals proper budgeting, secondary education and making a reality of how much life actually costs.
“People don’t budget properly. Usually at the end of the month, whatever money is leftover, it’s like ‘Oh, I can put that in the bank account’ but we’re trying to instill that you need to pay yourself first and pay for your housing, bank expenses, your car, and kind of luxury items should be at the bottom. Sometimes we find that you don’t have enough money for rent but you have a brand new cell phone that’s paid off and they’ve also gone traveling. We’re trying to instill the proper way to budget,” said Oliviera.
This was the second time this workshop was offered at Delta.
The children and youth resources with CAPC work all over San Joaquin County offering one-on-one mentorships and services to 16-25 year olds who need the extra support whether it be seeking educational opportunities, housing, budgeting and more, according to Oliviera.
Many students were drawn in by the promise of free food but many also picked up great budgeting skills for when they live on their own.
“ I like free food but I like to do the stuff around Delta and I like to take advantage of what’s offered. I know not to splurge on certain things while it’s ok to splurge on other stuff,” said student Maggie Hodson.
