Nine dedicated Sacramento Branch members have been doing their part this year to “sell” products to high school seniors as they complete a one-month budget for an assigned life situation. We are working with the SCHOOLS Federal Credit Union to provide the needed woman-power.

Many of the students find they are married with a working spouse, a child, a tight budget and sometimes debt. As they go to the eight stations to “purchase” the necessities, we volunteers get to encourage them to buy the fancy sports car or upscale clothing. We also remind them that it’s not cool to buy oneself a fancy vehicle and expect their spouse to get to work on the bus. As regular volunteer Marilyn Orrick said, it’s hard to convince them that grandma and grandpa may not be able or willing to babysit for free and they need to face up to the big cost of child care. When they get in financial trouble, the credit union station gives them guidance, and then they revisit some stations to make more realistic purchases and gain a greater appreciation of the budget challenges their parents face.

We have had fun helping young people experience that “bite of reality” at various schools so far and will continue this spring. More volunteers are always welcome. If you’d like to participate, contact Gloria Yost, gloriayost@aol.com.