Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/778497
Local FFA chapters in search of funding for their next animal science lab, community garden or any other worthy agricultural project, take note, Trac- tor Supply Company will soon be awarding Grants for Growing — starting at $500 — to qualifying FFA chapters. To win a grant, FFA advi- sors must visit http://www. ffa.org/grantsforgrowing and complete the applica- tion. Submissions are due by Monday, Feb. 13. InpartnershipwiththeNa- tional FFA Foundation, Trac- tor Supply supports Grants for Growing to serve FFA chapters who want to make a difference in their commu- nities with critical project funding. Grants are awarded to deserving FFA chapterini- tiatives in the spring. Grant recipients are se- lected based on propos- als detailing how they will start or expand a project that will benefit their com- munities well into the fu- ture. While the minimum competitive grant amount is $500 for participating chapters, there is no cap on the amount of funding a chapter may request for its project. Now in its second year, Grants for Growing is of- fered to FFA chapters across the country. Notable 2016 grant recipients included the Jemison, Alabama FFA chapter, which used pro- gram funding to construct an animal science lab ad- dition to house laboratory and show animals such as pigs, donkeys, rabbits and Texas Longhorn heifers. In Cedar Springs, Michigan, the local FFA chapter built a garden to provide the community with food do- nations, as well as help stu- dents learn more about rais- ing vegetables. In 2016, Grants for Growing raised more than $700,000, funding 374 grants supporting projects involving 39,038 students. To support the program, Tractor Supply hosts a 10- day in-store event nation- wide that offers shoppers the opportunity to donate $1 at checkout in support of the program. In 2017, the fundraising period will take place dur- ing National FFA Week, Feb. 17-26. All in-store do- nations remain within that state. For more details about the program, visit https:// www.ffa.org/grantsfor- growing. FFA Retailerseeking projects to fund At the foundation of your children's finan- cial intelligence should be this undeni- able truth: It is not the amount of money you have but what you do with it that matters. This is true for a child managing a $5 weekly allowance and a corporate executive with a $5,000 weekly salary. For many years of my life, I didn't know this truth. On the contrary, I believed that more money was the answer. I was convinced that if we just made more money, won the lottery or received some unexpected inher- itance, all of our money problems would vanish. But the more we made, the worse our problems be- came. Because I didn't know how to manage what we had, more would have never been enough. We didn't save. We didn't give. We didn't plan. And we had no idea where all the money went. Unless your children learn simple wise money management techniques, more money will never be enough. The simplest way to get started building financial intelligence in your kids' minds and hearts is by putting them on an allow- ance and requiring them to either suffer or enjoy the financial consequences of their decisions. An allowance teaches kids about real life. With their own money, kids learn about responsibili- ties, consequences, saving and charity. An allowance helps them learn how to distin- guish needs from wants. Having their own money forces kids to think about what to spend it on. An allowance puts an end to the nickel-and-dim- ing. You create a set bud- get item called "Kids' Al- lowances," and that stops the constant drip, drip, drip of money flowing from your pocket and go- ing toward random stuff for them. An allowance builds trustworthiness. By giv- ing kids money to man- age, you demonstrate that you trust them. And they soon learn that to keep the money coming, they need to become trustworthy. An allowance promotes self-confidence. Managing money has a magical ef- fect on their self-esteem. Want to get your child's allowance program off to a great start? Consider the Moonjar Moneybox. This clever savings bank is ac- tually three banks in one to teach children to save, spend and share their al- lowance. Over the years, Moon- jar (which is the creators' names, Noom and Raj, spelled backward) has re- ceived multiple awards for innovation, and it's no wonder. This money box is well-made and easy to use. Kids as young as 4 years old can understand and learn from the pro- cess. I believe this durable tin money box is a time- less gift that will inspire and teach children to save, spend and share wisely for a lifetime. It costs about $19. Would you like to send a tip to Mary? You can email her at mary@ everydaycheapskate. com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Ste. B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE Fivereasonstogive kids an allowance Mary Hunt Last year seemed to be so full of loss and stress for so many. As I was unable to secure any grant funds for the gym and funding was low, I was toying with the idea of closing the doors. Then I wrote an article honoring my friend and coach, Don Moore, and was blessed with 3 gener- ous donors from the com- munity wanting to honor his memory and help sup- port the gym. Thank you so much Donna Wenz and Doreen Wysocki. Your do- nations meant more than you could ever know. This year, the plan is to find some grants and get a grant writer to do all the dirty work, because appar- ently, I can write articles OK, but I stink at grant writing. One author friend of mine, Darbie Andrews, who just had a story pub- lished in a "Chicken Soup For The Soul" book, has had some success in grant writing and has kindly of- fered her services. Thank you, Darbie. Can't wait to get a copy of your book. Back to Don Moore, his beautiful wife Betty asked me if I'd like to have a signed picture of Rocky Marciano. Don got that from his friend many years ago. Betty thought Don would want me to have it, knowing how much I love boxing. I was floored. Of course, I accepted it. It is an awesome picture of Rocky. I also got a copy of the pic of Don and the champ and one of an Olympic gold medalist. Please come by the gym to see these won- derful, historical pictures, dedicated to the memory of Don Moore, Red Bluff's own charming champ. Speaking of champs, our wrestling coach, Jesse Or- duno, invited me to watch a couple of our little war- riors who were competing at RBHS. What a thrill. There were tiny tots to big kids tearing it up. And there were lots of girls, some even beating the boys. I had to wipe a tear at one point. It is so nice to see how far females have come in this sport. When I wrestled for Chico State, females in the sport were few and far between. One of Jesse's wrestlers put on an amazing per- formance and brought home a gorgeous medal. His mom, Shannon Long, shares the play by play, "Thiery took 2nd place in his 95lb weight class and weighed in at 91.4 at the Top Fuelers Winter Clas- sic. First round bye. Won his first match by pin against a kid from West Valley in about 15-20 seconds. Championship match against a kid from Live Oak went into dou- ble overtime and Thiery lost by a take down but brought home a second place medal." Great work, Thiery. Congratulations. I, myself, haven't any plans of competing in any fights or wrestling matches any time in the near fu- ture, but I am training to become a prayer warrior. I have completed a two-week training course to become a Certified Lay Minister. It was an excellent train- ing and has me wanting to learn so much more. I learned a bit of what it takes to be a pastor and a bit of how to minister to people's needs, provide spiritual encouragement, write and deliver a bet- ter sermon. I learned how to engage in centering prayer, very powerful to sit in silence and listen for God's voice and guidance. But mostly, I learned that it all boils down to God's grace which is there for anyone who seeks it. Mygoalforthisnewyear is to go where God leads me, and try not to fight Him along the way. If you want a pleasant, fulfilling, challenging goal, consider committing to spending at least 5 minutes each day talking to God. You will be surprised at the blessings that will arise from that. So, until next time, may God bless and keep you. AVERY VILCHE A new year full of promise, blessings By Elise Wilson Special to the Daily News REDDING Joseph Reynolds has a knack for making family history. Through an educational journey that spanned 20 years, he became the first person in his family to earn a high school diploma, attend col- lege, and earn a bachelor's degree. Reynolds, a 53-year-old Red Bluff resident, was one of more than 160 students who graduated during Simpson University's win- ter commencement cere- mony Jan 21. He received a degree in business man- agement with a concentra- tion in human resources management from Simp- son University's School of Adult and Graduate Pro- fessional Studies, Aspire program. Reynolds first attended Shasta College in 1986 and received vocational training as a heavy-duty mechanic. After suffer- ing a work injury and go- ing on permanent disabil- ity in 2002, he returned to Shasta to find a new career path. "I always knew that continuing my education would be the way to get beyond my disability," he said. "Once I headed down the path of business man- agement, I knew it was the right fit for me." It was while he was at- tending Shasta that he learned about Simpson's Aspire program. "I kept hearing people saying they planned on en- rolling in the Aspire pro- gram at Simpson, and I was very curious what the program was and what it had to offer," he said. "Af- ter doing some research, I knew that I also wanted to transfer into the program because it sounded like a perfect fit for me." Once he had completed his general education re- quirements, Reynolds en- rolled in the ASPIRE pro- gram's 12-monthlong business management de- gree program in the fall of 2015. He attended classes on Simpson's campus one night a week on Tuesdays, with each course lasting five weeks. "Simpson provided an excellent on-campus ex- perience that I would not have traded for any solely online option," he said. "There is nothing like be- ing able to interact with your fellow students and your professors, or to sit through an interesting lec- ture. To miss out on these things would have dimin- ished my college experi- ence." Reynolds said one of the best features of the Aspire program was the group of students he went through the entire program with, called a cohort. He liked the relationships that he was able to make. "You really get to know your cohort and feel very comfortable working with them in any situation that may present itself," he said. "You are able to develop a respect for your cohort's capabilities and limita- tions." While in the program, Reynolds struggled with health issues, including an undiagnosed heart condi- tion. He was able to over- come this challenge with the help of his cohort, pro- fessors and family. "If it had not been for the support that I received from everyone at Simpson I might not have finished my education at this time," he said. "Without the help of my family, I would not have been able to complete the program." Reynolds also said that he was challenged in his faith journey by attending the Aspire program. "My time at Simpson allowed me to renew and develop my faith to a new level," he said. "The reli- gious studies courses that I took and the openness of my cohort and professors about their faith helped to open my eyes to the reali- ties of a relationship with God." Reynolds' short-term goal is to find a job where he can apply what he learned in the Aspire pro- gram in a real-world set- ting. His long-range goals include finding a job with the potential for advance- ment, pursing his mas- ter's degree, and opening his own business. SIMPSON Red Bluff resident makes family history CONTRIBUTED The author with a young wrestler and coach at a recent tournament. By Justin McCuin Social Security Manager in Redding It's 2017, and that means you might be one more year closer to retirement. Whether you're at your very first job or wrapping upasuccessfulcareer,there are always new things to learn about when it comes to saving for the future. So why not make retirement planning part of your New Year's resolution. Putting money in a high yield savings account (if you can find one) is always smart, but you can do even more. The U.S. Department of the Treasury now offers a retirement savings op- tion called myRA. There's no minimum to open the account, you can contrib- ute what you can afford, and you can withdraw funds with ease. To learn more about myRA, visit www.myra.gov/. Hopefully your em- ployer chips in a little. An employer-sponsored retirement plan or 401(k) can be a useful way to set aside funds for retire- ment, especially if your employer offers match- ing funds on what you in- vest. If you don't work for an employer that offers this type of plan, there are many other plans designed to help you save for retire- ment. From solo 401(k)s to tra- ditional and Roth IRAs, there are programs de- signed to fit a multitude of budgets. The earlier you start to save, the more funds you'll have ready for retirement. SOCIAL SECURITY Retirement planning is fulfilling New Year's resolution Avery Vilche RUNNINGS ROOFING and CONSTRUCTION SheetMetalRoofing ResidentialCommercial • Composition • Shingle • Single Ply Membrane ServingTehamaCounty 530-527-5789 530-209-5367 NoMoney Down! "NoJobTooSteep" " No Job Too Flat" FREE ESTIMATES CA.Lic#829089B&C39 NOWOPENTONEWPATIENTSWITH AN EXPANDED MEDICAL TEAM • We accept Medi-Cal, Medi-Cal Managed Care by California Health and Wellness, Medicare, and most Private Insurance. • Assistance is available by Healthcare Options regarding Medi-Cal and Managed Medi-Cal questions or changes. • We are often available for same-day appointments. • A new clinic facility is coming soon to your community. We invite you to become part of our medical family. Call to schedule your appointment today. (530) 527-0350 TehamaCounty Health Services Agency Outpatient Clinic We are proud to offer quality primary care and family planning services by Dr. Jon Malan, Dr. Richard Wickenheiser, and our nurse practitioner on staff. LaCorona Garden Center & Feed Store 7769Hwy99E,LosMolinos 530-576-3118 LaCoronaHydoponic@gmail.com Home&GardenSupplies AdvancedNutrient•RootsOrganic Humboldt Counties Own • Humboldt Nutrients General Hydroponic Supplies & Fertilizers Scratch • Wild Bird Feeds Is the place for all your Garden Supplies & Livestock Feeds Open8-6pmMonday-Sunday Round Up Saloon Round Up Saloon 610 Washington St. (530) 527-9901 Superbowl party Free BBQ Feb. 5 th Happyhour10amto2pm 16 BEERS ON TAP Patrick's Pumping SepticPumpingServices Red Bluff, CA Garet Patrick Owner/Operator 530-366-6899 4patricks@att.net Available 24/7 LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Friday, January 27, 2017 MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS B3