Happy New Year

I'm posting this kinda late for New Year's wishes, but none the less, I hope your year has started off with a bang. There is much to write about, but I know how hard it is for some of our young people to stay focused on reading. Ha ha. (Did I really just "laugh" in my blog?)

Most of the northern part of the great state of Mississippi have received some snow earlier in the month, and many missed school, as well as some Independent Living Skills Groups. Snow is something that is rarely seen in Mississippi, especially enough to make the schools close for a day or two. I wish these groups could have been rescheduled, but because of a limited number of days in each month and the load of groups already scheduled, it has not been possible. I realize that this knocks out 1 of the required 8 groups to complete the Abstinence Education section we are covering at this time. The "think tanks" are in operation to figure out how we can make up any missed groups. Unforeseen also was an SCSCY Agency Training that is scheduled for the month of February, as well as a holiday. This will limit the Calhoun, Tishomingo, and Union County groups to only one group during this month. I want to thank all of the youth who have come out for Independent Living so far this year, as well as thank the social workers for their efforts on getting the youth to group.

We held a retreat in month of December at Lake Tiak O'Khata Resort. By resort, it's not what most would think of as a vacation resort, but more of a state park-type facility that is privately owned and operated. It was beautiful none the less, even in December. We had forty youth participate in this Independent Living Retreat for 14-15 year olds. There were 16 females youth and 24 males. There were six SCSCY and DFCS staff facilitating, as well as some help from our Independent Living Staff from the State Office, Mario, Ashley, and Bobbye. Activities were centered around a holiday theme, as well as a visit from our special guest the "Just Wait" crew. They came and spoke to the youth about abstinence and healthy relationship education. We also had quite a nice "bonfire" with the roasting of hot dogs and smores. I will have to say, the biggest hit was the food. Lake Tiak O'Khata provides its guest with a buffet for all of its meals. This southern smorgasbord included a weekly seafood buffet on Friday night, which really can't be considered from the "sea", but more likely from our great state's fresh water lakes and catfish ponds. I even arrived early on Friday to get an "extra" meal in, and had lunch in front of a roaring fire place, filling my overstuffed belly with delicious peach cobbler. I have yet to post any pictures from that retreat, but will do so very soon.

The next Independent Living Retreat is scheduled for February the 5th and 6th at Paul B. Johnson State Park in Hattiesburg, MS. It is another one of our favorite retreat locations in southern Mississippi. We are expecting 40 youth to attend this retreat that is set for 16-20 year old foster youth. It will be our only weekend retreat for this age group. The next opportunity they will have to get together will be in June at the annual Youth Conference scheduled to be held at the University of Mississippi, or as some say "the school up north". I will post more on the upcoming youth conference in a later blog. If you have youth who want to go to this retreat in February, you better get to steppin'. Spots look to be filled fast, with this being the only weekend retreat for this age group.

We will continue with Abstinence and Healthy Relationship Education at least through the month of April. Our curriculum is titled Choosing the Best Journey, and seems to be taken well by the youth so far. I hope to see all our youth in groups the following months. Thanks for all your cooperation in making our Independent Living Program such a success.

Lake Tiak O'Khata Independent Living Retreat

The year's first Independent Living Retreat is quickly approaching. The scheduled date is December the 11th and 12th at Lake Tiak O'Khata in Louisville, MS. This is one of the favorite locations for Independent Living Retreats buy both youth and adults. The scenery is breath taking, the hospitality is what you would expect from a southern resort, and the food is the 'bomb' as I have been told before by a youth. I think it's the food. It's not your typical "camp" food, but a buffett of fried southern cuisine filled with fresh pond raised Mississippi Catfish, frog legs, fried oysters, and cornbread hushpuppies. There are just too many items to list, but you can look it up on their webpage at www.ltok.com.

This will be the first of three retreats scheduled for our foster youth this fiscal year, and will be one of two for the 14 - 15 year old age group. We expect approximately 40 foster youth from throughout the state to participate, so get your applications in early so you won't be left out.

You'll need to bring some things essential for survial: sleeping bag, pillow, coat, toiletries, towel, comfortable shoes, and any prescribed medications. Drop off starts at 3:30 on Friday afternoon, and pick up starts at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday.

Youth get rewarded with a $20 stipend for attending the retreat, as well as have the opportunity to gain some valuable life skills. This is also a great chance to get to meet other foster youth from through out the state, meet up with siblings, and see your favorite Independent Living Specialist! If you are interested in going, make sure your social worker has put the application through the proper channels. See you there!!!

Four Savings Tips for Teens

I am often told by youth that "money" is the most essential thing needed for living independently. While I don't deny that, I never seem to have any when I need it. One of the most known tips for managing money is knowing that one should "save" a portion of their earnings. Even 5% of one's income saved is better than 0%. I advise youth to save 10%, though I know saving any amount can be difficult at times. While in college, it was hard to save anything. Like many of my fellow college students, I was living "hand-to-mouth", and can remember many times knowing my meal (and sometimes meals) for the day was going to be Ramen noodles. I ask my youth to look at how many expenses they encounter NOW. Most have none. So larger percentages of their incomes can expect to be placed into savings.

I wanted to post some tips for saving that will allow especially our foster youth to be setting some financial goals for their future. I ran across these through Yahoo, and encourage not only youth, but also adults to use this resource in getting back to the basics of managing our finances.

1. Whether you get a $10 check for your birthday or make $50 a week at a part-time job, get in the habit of putting a portion of that money aside for savings. You can go with a consistent percentage, like 10% or 25%, or you can simply take a few dollars out and put it away. Consistently putting money into savings like this will grow your dollars faster than you might think. For example, if you put just two dollars a week in to your piggy bank, by the end of the year you will have $104 saved.

2. If you really want to save your money for the future, you might try cutting out your trips to Starbucks or McDonald's every week. While this is an admirable strategy, completely cutting out something you love in favor of saving cash isn't always the easiest goal to set. Instead, start with baby steps like cutting your Starbucks trips from four to two visits a week and placing the money you don't spend in to your savings fund. By cutting spending back instead of completely, you will be more likely to meet your goals and save consistently.

3. It's a simple fact: when you don't have it, you won't spend it. While it is a good idea to always have a few dollars in your wallet for emergencies, you don't need to flash a wad of cash every time you walk out of your house. Take only what you need, and leave the rest at home in a piggy bank or in your savings account where you will actually have to visit the bank to get at it.

4. When you manage to save some cash, take the money to the bank and open up a savings account. Most banks will waive the minimum balance requirements for minors, but you will still reap the benefits that the account offers.

I hope these tips help. I want to thank Amber in Money Management for Kids and Teens @ Yahoo.com.

WELCOME TO THE FIRST "BLOG" OF THE WATCHMAN!!!

As many of my foster youth know, I have been sending out an Independent Living Newsletter called I titled "The Watchman". This is a name that I chose for my own reasons, but it has held it's own for the title of an newsletter that has been read by many foster youth throughout the great state of Mississippi. Well, with the encouragement of others, I have decided to take the step into the digital "world of blog". As I catch up with the future, I hope more and more youth become followers, and more and more specialist begin using this format to reach the Foster Youth of Mississippi, informing and educating in preparation for adulthood. I have never been an english major, so have patience in my writing!!!

I have posted some pictures from past retreats on the site, and let it be known they are of the staff who participated. I will continue to post pictures, but none will contain images of foster youth because of confidentiality laws designed to protect our youth. It will give you the opportunity to see some of the exciting things we do in our Independent Living Skills Groups, Retreats, and Conferences. There are several upcoming retreats that I will blog on in future articles, and hope that all youth get a chance to participate. The numbers of our retreats, skills groups, and conference participant numbers have all be reduced from previous years because of cuts in funding, however, we will make what is available the most exciting, informative, and rewarding experiences possible. I hope to see you there. Stay tuned for more information on the P.R.E.P.A.R.E. program and valuable information her on "The Watchman". Just remember www.tupeloprepare.blog.com.