#027: Boost for Our Heroes: A Conversation with Boost Recipient Al Lejarde

Since 2014, the San Diego Financial Literacy Center has awarded more than $75,000 to more than 25 U.S. servicemembers and their families as part of the SDFLC's Boost for Our Heroes program.

For those who may be unfamiliar with the SDFLC, Boost for Our Heroes is a financial assistance and education program that benefits active, transitioning, and veteran military members and their families. The program provides a variety of workshops, outreach efforts, and one-on-one consultations to help men and women who are experiencing financial hardships become financially stable.

Joining us on the show is Al Lejarde, a past recipient of the SDFLC's Boost for Our Heroes award. Al joins us to share how he learned about the financial award, his motivation to apply, and how his family's life has changed since winning the award. Al also shares ways he's helping his fellow service members through his work with nonprofit organizations including Habitat for Humanity, Courage to Call, and Easter Seals.

Boost for Our Heroes
To learn more about the Boost for Our Heroes award visit the SDFLC's Boost for Our Heroes page.

Click here for the Boost for Our Heroes online application.

For more information on the Boost for Our Heroes Golf Classic, please visit this website.

About the Show
Comments, questions or suggestions for the show? Email us at talkwealthpodcast@gmail.com.

To learn more about DebtWave Credit Counseling, visit our website or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

To learn more about the San Diego Financial Literacy Center, visit our website or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Transcript

Intro:   0:09
Welcome to Talk Wealth to Me, a safe space podcast where we chat about anything and everything related to personal finance.  

Felipe Arevalo:   0:19
The information contained in this podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It does not constitute as accounting, legal, tax or other professional advice.  

Chase Peckham:   0:32
Welcome to another edition of Talk Wealth. To me, this is exciting. The opening of season two. I think it's like our 26th actual podcast, but our first in Season two. And we get to talk to an old friend of ours at the SDFLC named Al Lejarde. And Al is in-studio talking to us about the Boost for our heroes program, which he won. He was the 22nd person to win. He and his family that won the award and he comes back to talk to us about how he got it, what got him there. And not only that, what it's been like since he won the award, how is his habits, their finances changed since we met. Well, Phil, Katie is currently in Hawaii celebrating her her honeymoon.  

Felipe Arevalo:   1:28
Yeah

Chase Peckham:   1:29
This long awaited. We've been hearing about it for quite a while

Felipe Arevalo:   1:31
Quite a while. so I'm sure our listeners have heard about it, and now they're probably counting down with Katie.  

Chase Peckham:   1:36
Absolutely  

Felipe Arevalo:   1:37
She's there now.

Chase Peckham:   1:37
I think she had already said congratulations to us when we were when we knew we were gonna have this interview while she was gone. But our first episode of Season two.

Felipe Arevalo:   1:48
Yeah, they brought their letting us come back.

Chase Peckham:   1:51
Absolutely. And what better way than to talk about something that is near and dear to our heart? Uh, we're here with Al Lejarde, who was the 22nd recipient. He and his family of the boost for Our Hero's Award and the Boost for our Heroes Award is something that we've been doing since 2014 and awarded over $69,000 in financial awards to deserving veterans and active-duty sailors and Marines. And really, they just so happens that its sailors and Marines, But it's open to all branches of the service. And as out of all the ceremonies that we've done, which which have been there's been some tear jerkers and there's been some that I just go Wow, I mean, how people can come back from what they've been through, but your story is is amazing. And so if you could. You're a native San Diegan?

Al Lejarde:   2:46
Yes, local boy here from San Diego. Went to Point Loma high school. You know, elementary school out here and my family immigrated from the Philippines and joined the Navy, and that's how we actually was able to relocate to Southern California.

Chase Peckham:   2:58
So is this a family affair you were following in the footsteps of family?

Al Lejarde:   3:02
It's a tradition. So my family has served in the Navy from, like, Vietnam era Cold War Persian Gulf era. And when my cousin and myself became of age, he went army. I went Marine Corps, and so we were just following that tradition, but kind of the black sheep. My own variation, and so were the first, and ah, I did about five years as a military police officer, and I went on to do defense contracting for a couple years afterwards. But it was in 2014 when I pivoted into the nonprofit work and where I actually had an opportunity to connect and find out about organizations like the San Diego Financial Literacy Centre and you're working, learning more about it as a community member and seeing the work that you have been doing

Chase Peckham:   3:45
it is quite a community. We all do work together very closely. And we wouldn't be as successful as we are with helping people around San Diego County without the connections of our fellow nonprofits that are doing incredible good to people not only toward our service members here in town but all over Ah, the communities of San Diego County. And so Al kind of just take us back.

Al Lejarde:   4:08
I actually joined the Marine Corps to avoid college. I did not want to go to school. I was sitting in there at junior college, going from my criminal justice Major, and I was telling myself, I need to get out of here and change something really quicker. And so, uh, 2003 I dipped into the local Recruit depot here, and 2004 shipped off to become a military police officer. And as I was going through training, I was already having, um, orders to go to Okinawa, Japan, for ah deployable military police unit. But they changed their mind. And the great thing about the military is they always have other plants. And so, uh, a recruiter came by in their dress blues and gave this wonderful presentation in regards to this green helicopter, that lands down on the the back lawn of the White House and this, ah, sharp-looking Marine and coming down and saluting the president. And I said, That's a job? I could do that. Well, lo and behold, about five of us got selected not because of the quality of our merits, but because we kept our noses clean for most of our lives. So oh, you had the security clearance opportunities and that's where I was that I was actually given an opportunity to become a presidential support security guard for HMX one. And I worked for the George Washington George W. Bush administration from 2004 to 2009 and I was in charge of the physical security for Marine one. So whoever the president traveled, there was a group of myself as well as some of my co-workers in an undisclosed location protecting and watching over his helicopter. Uh, just in case something happened.

Felipe Arevalo:   5:44
Wow, that is way different than going out to Okinawa and going out to Japan. And and that's a completely different turn.

Al Lejarde:   5:52
Yeah, I wasn't I wasn't kicking and screaming, announcing I needed to find this out. So when they told me I wasn't going to Japan, which was I was bummed out because I was really looking forward to that experience. I ended up going to Quantico, Virginia. And the first quote unquote temporary assigned duty was Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Okay, that's out there and just seeing, uh, um buggy. And I believe you're the Mennonites or or Amish people driving around like that for the Marine Corps to go here. I wasn't too short, but  

Chase Peckham:   6:22
very quiet, peaceful place.  

Al Lejarde:   6:24
But there was there was a very important person doing some business and doing the stumping for the next person in line for the presidential candidacy. And I was just along for the ride.

:   6:35


Chase Peckham:   7:36
That's amazing. You find yourself deciding not to go to college, and there you are, saluting the president of the United States. How long did you do that?

Al Lejarde:   7:36
So I did that for about five years. I was actually recruited from the schoolhouse. I was trained as a military police officer in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and from 2004 all over 2009 I did my whole entire list mint most active duty members every two years. You get to go to a new duty station because of ah, investment of security clearance and the type of high temple work I was attached and a group of other service members to the White House military office, which is self work. Focus is to be able to utilize the military assets in support of the president, president of the United States and other foreign dignitaries. So everything from what you see from the water kay to Air Force One to Marine one and everything in between for example, even cooks and so forth. We all are part of this whole organization to support that mission. To be able to the make sure v. I. P s get to one place to another.

Chase Peckham:   7:37
That's that's awesome. Yeah, it is awesome. When did you start to find a family, or when did you meet your wife? Was it during that time?

Al Lejarde:   7:47
So my wife and I actually were high school sweethearts way back and we're going way back. So the funny story that my wife would like to tell is so

Chase Peckham:   7:55
when you came home and said, I don't want to go to college I'm gonna go into the Marines. Did you discuss this with her before you actually did it?  

Al Lejarde:   8:04
Well, actually, what I did was I ghosted her for, like, 10 years. That was That's the true story. Is I? The joke is, is that I did not ask her for a follow-up date until 10 years later. And so I dated her in high school, we went our separate ways. We lived and dated other people. But after I did my five years, I realized I wasn't conducive to the type of family and the type of husband and father that I wanted to be and provider that I wanted to be. And so not saying that it's not successful. But in 2009 I felt that need to go back home. So I came back home and, uh, we connected shortly thereafter. In 2010 Kristen and I realized that we grew up, and that's when we had the conversation. You said where've been for the last 10 years and I said, Well, I did this. He's all you grew up well. And then we told each other, Hey, this might work. Let's let's get married and figure this out And so we've been married for six years now. We got married in 2013 and been together And now we have Ah ah, a son that is three-and-a-half little Michael who was here last time? Yeah. Ah, he says hi by the way, along with Kristen. And that's where we're at least getting connected. At that point in time, she's very patient. She she she brings it up. She does not, uh, hesitate to to remind me of it. It's waiting for you.  

Chase Peckham:   9:25
You were introduced to us through habitat for humanity if I remember correctly. And it was through Habitat for Humanity where you and Kristen bought your first home?  

Al Lejarde:   9:35
Yes it was.  

Chase Peckham:   9:35
and went through that process, which is? We could go into a whole podcast

Felipe Arevalo:   9:40
We've done episodes on home buying

Al Lejarde:   9:43
I'd Love to talk about that

Chase Peckham:   9:45
habitat for humanity comes to us and they've been a partner of ours for a while. And they just said you can help this gentleman and his family. What was the story of getting to that point in time?

Al Lejarde:   9:56
Yes. Ah, big shout out to San Diego. Habitat for Humanity, the affiliate here in the West Coast. At the time I was a volunteer. I had an opportunity in 2015 one summer to go and volunteer in El Cajon for what they call a home dedication. And when I went there, I realized that there's something very special from an organization that allows low-income families who had the need for improved housing um, break down the barriers and to be able to allow them to have the financial freedom to people to purchase an affordable home. Well, I did see that in my future. I just knew that was something maybe that was too far to reach and they changed that. And as a volunteer, they told me about their veterans Homeownership program, and I met with an amazing team at the time. Ah, good friend mine. Anne Marie Conti was the director of the veterans program, and she said, L we have this wonderful relationship with an organization called San Diego Financial Literacy Centre, where they are taking the time to be able to educate you to give you the financial fitness understanding of what it takes to purchase the home and see if you are good fit or ready to apply for habitat. We went through that process. I didn't know, you know, from which Financial Advisor. I had a lot of jaded experiences in the past. I'm not going to share now. But I said, You know what? Here's an organization that vetted another nonprofit, another a community group and to trust them to give them a try. And I was able to work with a Connected with Brad and Brad said Al, Here's a Here's a workshop that would come by and we were able to meet down City Heights for the group of financial advisors and just had the conversation. What do you want to go? Talked about growing our family and so forth. So that least allowed us not to have all the answers at one time. But allowed us to Have that conversation to continue to say. OK, this is what ah, healthy, financially literate conversation to have. And so that's that's where it started. And from there, after getting the home and being able to purchase the home I started and I joined the team, I joined a team of Anne Marie Conti's team of ah, as a veteran program manager, and I started that groundwork of helping veterans and families to get that confidence in the financial conversation with organizations like Boost for Our Heroes and so forth. And that's where you guys became one of my number one referral sources. At least I trusted because I went through, and vetted it myself.

Chase Peckham:   12:23
So that's really what you were doing. You were just vetting us through the whole thing?

Al Lejarde:   12:26
Yeah I had to. As a Veteran community You have to do that right. You have to find out and say, This is my experience and here is what I've seen. Um, go and check them out and then build your relationship with yourself

Chase Peckham:   12:40
and I have to give Ah, you mentioned his name. So I have to give him a shout out. Uh, who he's referring to is Brad Pagano, who has since in the last year taken off. He was one of the co-founders of the SDFLC, and has since gone into the private sector, and we're still very close with him, and he still works with us on our golf tournament and which raises money for this program. But this program was very near and dear to his heart as well, and ah, he was very instrumental in our in everything we did, but the educational series that we did for a long time. And we're bringing back here in 2020. And of course, the award still moves on. So kind of you give us some background to in not only how you met us, but some of the trials and tribulations that you found as a as a as a newly married man and then not too short a time after, um, a child came into the picture. What were some of the things that you experienced through that process that gave you a difficult time, which kind of ultimately led you to us?

Al Lejarde:   13:47
I definitely remember calling the conversation I had with both Katie and Felipe. It in regards to just aren't my base experience of just growing up in financial literacy how it was deficient. I didn't have the proper role models. I didn't have the proper education and it was just more like stumble and fall through financial literacy. And finding that out I never trial and error

Chase Peckham:   14:09
which, by the way, about 90% of the country does

Al Lejarde:   14:15
I have or had lot of bad habits and no real healthy models that look at when it comes to financial literacy. So when I did become to those new life challenges of marriage and homeownership and so forth, I took all the wrong turns, or had that all the false misconceptions and the ideas and so forth and that put me in the hole where, uh, not necessarily living out of that means. But I was not making the right decisions for my family, and at the same time, I didn't know how to ah to alleviate or reach out for help having that conversation. So when I was looking at and breaking down the barriers of of making the right financial decisions, even purchasing a home, I almost did not say yes to or partnered with Habitat because my family now were too terrified, just a shared full transparency before my family has a history of homelessness, foreclosures, bankruptcies and loss. That's something that a lot of Americans are going through now, before in the past and currently experiencing in something that I realized that because of that, I had a lot of those hang-ups and my family did, too. So having the trust to be able to educate and to be out there was one of the challenges I had. And to answer your question, I'm sorry if I I kind of got into the tangent there, but, um, those were the challenges I had was to be able to have a trust out there to the to re-educate myself, the honest assessment, saying that I don't know everything and that my knowledge is continuous. And I needed to reach out to experts, and two people could guide me in the right direction.

Felipe Arevalo:   15:47
And that's great. Yeah, I think a lot of times we when we talk to people, it's It's a situation where if you just would have came just a little sooner in your case, you were able to realize I need to go do something and I need to learn something. And I need to train myself to be better at things. And, you know, it's a very important thing to realize. Sometimes people wait too long. Yes. Um, you know, thankfully, you didn't wait too long. Yeah. Um, you went out there and look for her. The information of the knowledge.

Al Lejarde:   16:19
I liked it. I've been I've found this type of thinking in lens of looking at financial literacy recently in regards to some background in emergency service in the military as ah, lot of families are hemorrhaging money. Uh, no stopping the bleeding. What do you stop that? And when I realized that my family was hemorrhaging money in different areas and that I we couldn't sustain a healthy family wouldn't be alive too long. I knew that Budget 101 is the way to be able to stop that bleeding that stopped the hemorrhaging. And so I said, Okay, I I we don't know how to do that. And I just doing research one night. Ah, how a lot of things come to me in and I remembered the work with Habitat for Humanity and SDFLC seeing the boost for our heroes program lets it do. I qualify for this. I sat down and thought about after I just saw the finanical direction my family was going to. And I remembered the families that you helped the financial literacy sessions that I attended and viewed message. You know what, And I shifted it. I said, I believe I need to reach out and help out. And so I did the application. One night and the following morning, Felipe give me a call and just responded to my email, and it went from there. 

Chase Peckham:   17:26
So a lot of people go through this yes process, and there's a lot of people to go through this process Felipe, but they don't win the award. I mean, we have people that are eligible for it and have great stories and really, should you won the award. But aside from that, people will sit down with Felipe or counselors, and and they'll go through that process. How was it when you have to look in the mirror and you have to look at a situation and things that you've done for so long? Maybe you have to retrain the way you think the way you do things. How difficult was that in kind of just saying, I've got a Not that you've done anything really super wrong. It's just that you may have to train yourself to do and think a little bit differently about things.

Al Lejarde:   18:17
The way I view that Chase. Ah, it's It's a practice of vulnerability, and that's a trait that society and even ah, the culture I come from in regards to the military culture is not always practiced or sought to practice or as a treat that it's openly put out there, even amongst males and so forth. So, um, practicing the vulnerability, Having that that honest look in the mirror is something that I continuously practice something that I I just seek. And when I was at that point, I needed to fall and and rely on family and other organizations, and it's again touching back on the advocacy portion of it. If I'm asking someone to really reach out for help. It takes a lot of courage, and that's the biggest thing. I was a part of our organization that kind of taught me that what it means to reach out for courage in its namesake. It's called courage to call collaborative program between three non-profits, and I sat there when I was working for that organization. It really takes a lot of courage, and when I realized that, I said okay, I need to build up to that point and to be brave in the area, and when I had that mindset, the fear was still real. But I was able to address it and I started pulling to my military training into the culture, and I was ready for it, kind of just changing my mindset. And when I changed my mindset, I was able to look myself in the mirror, communicate to my family what we needed to do as the leader of the family and so forth. And it just one thing led to another that practice. It's something that I haven't figured it out yet all the way. But it's a continuous practice on a daily basis. It's

Chase Peckham:   19:55
a continuous for our life. It's never nobody's ever. I guess you could talk to Dave Ramsey or Suze Orman or any of the big names in the financial world, and even they would tell you that they're not perfect, that none of us even doing this for a living. We're still human, and we still have impulses, and we still have likes, ah, and needs and all those kinds of things. We just have learned to kind of navigate it a little bit better. And not only that, it's just you. You try and tend to lead a certain life, so once you start doing these practices, it's kind of like working out, right? You do it. The more you do it, you're going to get used to it. It's gonna become a part of your life. Yes, and it's It's not quite as hard to roll out of bed as it was when you first started. So do it. Working financially doesn't always mean that you're going to Have to cut this and cut this constantly and cut that. It's actually just the opposite. You know, you do that maybe at the little beginning, depending on where you are. And then, as you follow these practices, those decisions become a little bit easier and clearer, wouldn't you say? 

Al Lejarde:   21:02
I agree. I was able to listen to season one. I'm like four podcasts in, and so I have a lot to catch up. But one of the biggest things I've been hearing in the theme within the first couple episodes is having the habit. Yeah, you mentioned the podcast on talk wealthy me by saying Just get into the habit of having a daily basis in having those positive habits of finances, and I know that that's a deficiency that my family had and that we didn't focus on and still and So we're trying to do that on the regular basis. Now, one thing that we are one of the share is Ah, early podcast. You talked about the financial date night? Oh, yeah. Yes. So I was driving the car, said Babe were having financial date night. We're gonna watch a movie, but listen to the podcast. And the podcast site we listen to was baby's baby makes three where you and your wife was on

Felipe Arevalo:   21:50
the way. So my wife that was the only episode. I was nervous for you. According you would say that what you get to see. Oh,

Al Lejarde:   22:00
but that was a great That was a great episode. And, uh uh, my wife, she made it through halfway. Okay, so when it comes to finances, I'm still working on her. I love you, babe. Sorry, I have to tell the truth, but it was something that was very important, actually to share. I think it's the perfect way to share right now is since ah, going through Ah, the boost for our heroes program. Um, we are growing our family. We're expecting another baby, Lejarde, and Summer of 2020. Congratulations. You're the first podcast we shared this with not even my immediate parents know. So there's a special way that we're going to present

Chase Peckham:   22:35
until we promise to not release this until it's okay, Give us the okay. Unless, of course, you're going to reveal it to them as they listen to this.

Al Lejarde:   22:41
W that's actually a great idea. I think I want to do that way. So that's that's another thing that just when I saw you two at the community event the other day and you mentioned this, I was like we just found out recently. This is so we're gonna find out if the baby is, you know, we're so early in it. But it started this whole, uh, looking back at where we were when we were the award recipients to now is like, this is a good time to to reach out. So our idea was to just write you an email during the holidays and say thank you, but I'd rather be here in person, so

Chase Peckham:   23:22
I'm glad. I'm very, very glad you did. You know, the one thing I've noticed through this conversation is you talk about Kristen and it seems that you guys have very clear communication with each other. Yes. Would you say that to get through what you got through and to go forward the way you are with having a baby. And you're gonna encourage some more costs, my friend.

Al Lejarde:   23:49
Yes, yes. That's why I'm listening as much as I can to the wisdom here,

Chase Peckham:   23:53
Would you say that all of this is so much easier to navigate because of the communication that you and your wife do have?

Al Lejarde:   24:00
Yes. Ah, that goes beyond any personal relationship that we have in our lives. With anyone having that trust to be able to communicate, to tell, um where we need help, where we need to have the direction that have that leadership that sent the opportunity to be able to be open and so forth. Yes, that was the biggest one of the biggest factors of being able to be at this point right now. The talk with you all.

Chase Peckham:   24:26
So tell us what you're doing now. What? What is your role with Easter seals? Obviously, yes. You know, for some people, some people may not know exactly what Easter seals is. Yes, but it goes. It goes back to Bob Hope is that the, uh, the incredible entertainer who was so huge with USO and doing all those going across the seas, entertaining the troops in Vietnam and and all over the world. Yes. Um, tell us, what is the great Easter seals of here in San Diego doing? And what is your role in it?

Al Lejarde:   24:59
So the great thing I want to share is that Easter seals just celebrated our centennial 100 years of being existing as an organization. Uh, we are an organization that's known to serve families with disabilities. However, fun fact, since World War two, Easter seals has been serving military families in various capacities. So bringing us down to Easter Seals of Southern California, which, who I work for. We have a service line there. Six service lines, but one service line dedicated for assisting veterans, veterans and active-duty members to find meaningful employment. The Bob Hope connection. Six years ago, Bob Hope has always been a big supporter of Easter seals. And he was a spokesperson for Easter seals in his career. His family approached Easter seals. Uh uh, and asked. We would like to do something in you know our bob hopes legacy and since its connection. And so they want. They came over the idea to model a program after the problem called Work first, which is to be able to every single individual has the right for meaningful employment and to discover what that is. It was successful. And so they say, Hey, this works with veterans in the veteran community. So six years ago, Um, Debbie Ball who, uh, who manages the program as well as my boss, John Funk, came together and he said, Let's let's put this together, here in San Diego with the support of the Bob Hope Foundation. And they trusted us. And for six years we served nearly over 1000 veterans, and we knew. We know each and every one of those veterans into meaningful employment. So we operate in Southern California as far north as Orange County. LA, Inland Empire all the way down the San Ysidro. We have a team about eight military veterans and one honorary Ah, civilian and great guy shelter. Russell. Yeah, but are small too small, but mighty team of eight, uh, connects with individuals. One on one. We go to the active-duty military service member or veteran to where they're at out in the community and have an organic conversation like we're doing now. We asked, Where are you at, where you where do you want to be and how do we support you? And so the great thing is very collaborative organization, so we don't necessarily want to reinvent the wheel way. Just look at the sloping landscape and say, Okay if resume writing and maybe some financial assistance, illiteracy assistance you may need. Then let me connect you with SDFLC, or an organization or a resume writer, and we go from there and we check in on their regular basis just call phone calls and so forth. I was a client of that program, and I was later recruited to join the team, and I've been with the team for about a year and 1/2 and it's been one of the most meaningful. Working experiences. It allows me the flexibility to do the networking and the connection, and at the same time I'm able to, ah, that organizations and programs and say, Hey, here's something that will impact your life in a positive way over the very least reach out to them.

Felipe Arevalo:   27:53
Well, I think it's great that that Al is He's part of the community, the military community and the veteran community. And he's out there, you know, helping others. Um, we see al all the time at, you know, gatherings. You know, at, uh, annual the military sending a military family collaborative. Things were just But we've seen Al throughout the years that all these gatherings So it's great that you're out there and you're striving to make a difference in other people's lives even before you were striving. You know, using some of those resources yourself. You were out there. Why were we networked? I don't remember what event it was, but it was before it was before you even applied. And we network we just happened to sit at the same table at one of these events and say, Hey, what do you do? Here's my card. Here's your card And And we had a conversation for Well, it is, um it was actually the day my brother found out he was having a boy. Yeah, You just had your way. Were expecting also, and I went outside. I can't take this call out real quick and I went outside. My brother told me that boy came back there. My brother's having. So now we're gonna have both have boys. And it was

Chase Peckham:   29:10
What is it with you two and announcing You're gonna you know, about kids,

Felipe Arevalo:   29:13
the kids, and I know a connection here

Al Lejarde:   29:17
That was the veterans. That's community connections. Event

Felipe Arevalo:   29:21
that was lunch in there. Still. Yeah. And I was out there

Al Lejarde:   29:25
like a drink. And I said, Yeah, this guy, I talked to him and yeah, that was That's wonderful thing about programs. That's how I vet. A lot of my programs is if I don't see, um, the people in the organization out there in the community and getting in on the regular basis, then that's an indicator for least me personally. And I rented community Say that. Are you really Are you out there a part? A part of that. You have to be a part of the community to serve the community is what I believe.

Chase Peckham:   29:54
100%  we do a lot of those. Yes, a lot of them. Well, Al, thank you so much for being here. Congratulations. To you very much. And congratulations just in how things have turned for you. And you just buy my own your own hard work and perseverance with your family. Ah, and your mother in law is doing all right. I think?

Al Lejarde:   30:16
She's still with us. She's really excited that the new baby's coming around. So she's re-focusing her plan to be able to be around and so forth. And so these stuff and this type of news is that is in empowering news for all. And it's informing me and how I'm thinking moving forward. Um, I would love to give you another update. Maybe in about six months or so or nine month nine months. There we go, um, and let you know where I'm at. Then I actually have more news to come forward. Uh, and so forth. I'm doing a lot more focus, advocacy, work as a peer and family advocate. And so what I'm doing. So you might see me on social media and regards to also other hats that I will wear down the road. So if you see me on the state level, back with the other organizations that familiar, don't be surprised. 

Chase Peckham:   31:04
Nothing would surprise me Congratulations. Thanks again.  

Al Lejarde:   31:13
Please, uh if you have time to volunteer time, treatsures and talents. So my family has forever imacted in a positive way because of my conversation so forth. And so from the Lejarde family to you all, thank you.

Chase Peckham:   31:37
And now a little follow up with myself., Phil, and Katie. Al Lejarde.

Katie Utterback:   31:47
So this is just one of the many people you guys have helped through the Boost for Our Heroes Program  

Chase Peckham:   31:52
Yeah he was 22nd. There's been 24 since. We have our 25th coming up by that will award in December.

Katie Utterback:   32:02
Oh, wow. So 25 military members and their families have been awarded $3000?  

Chase Peckham:   32:10
Yep. Three thousand.

Felipe Arevalo:   32:12
Yeah. The idea is, even if they don't when the award itself, it's still benefit from just going through the entire application process because they'll get the education. They'll get the one on one budget analysis, take a look at their credit report, um, and all the tips and everything that goes along with it. So even for those that don't actually win the award, uh, we feel that just going through the application process can benefit them tremendously because they have a better plan coming out of it than they did going in.

Chase Peckham:   32:46
Yeah, and they have the option or not. They have the opportunity. I should say, too to win the award, which that boost, it's it's really we have a lot of people that have come back and kind of told us what they would do with it. And that's part of the application process, actually, is you know you have. 

Katie Utterback:   33:02
So they have to say that upfront?  

Chase Peckham:   33:04
Yeah, all right, you've got to kind of say, What is this for? What would you use this four? And it doesn't have to be the exact, but we don't want them just to win. And then they go, Well, here's an extra three grand. Let's go to Hawaii, for instance, I guess. Yeah, Yeah, exactly. So it's gotta be for something that isn't in a need sooner rather than later.  

Katie Utterback:   33:27
Can you guys share some Like other examples of the reasons people have given in the past?  

Chase Peckham:   33:32
some of them it was paying off debt that that's a bigger one. Um, we've

Felipe Arevalo:   33:37
had people who were facing homelessness who needed to find a new place and maybe use it for a deposit on an apartment or things of that nature. Um, we've had people dealing with injuries who really going through a tough spot financially, who were just kind of out there. Getting as many of the resources as possible who, We weren't going to be the only component that helps them, But we were more of a port a ah, part of the solution. But we've had some, uh, some interesting stories throughout the years

Chase Peckham:   34:10
we have. I mean, there's there's families where, um, one of the recipients was in a motorcycle accident while his wife, who I believe was a master chief, is off on a ship and he's Oh, wow, yeah. And so his recovery had been obviously very painstaking, both physically and mentally and financially. And we met this family, and we just, you know, we fell in love with him. They were overwhelming that year. I forget what number they were in that process. But this was a number of years ago, and they, you know, we really took them in. But it wasn't just us. We get They got a $3000 boost from us, but ah Miramar federal credit union came in and helped them refi a bunch of their different debts and cars. And because they had crazy interest rates, there's

Felipe Arevalo:   35:02
a construction company that helped them do Cem remodeling, retrofitting to their home, right, so make it more accessible, ADA accessible. And I think, uh, National University helped him out as well.

Chase Peckham:   35:15
With that, Yeah, with education

Felipe Arevalo:   35:17
and Sharp gave him a TV, I think.

Chase Peckham:   35:19
Yeah, well, that's right. Yeah, that And that was through our boost for our heroes. Golf tournament

Felipe Arevalo:   35:22
Golf tournament yeah. They had an extra TV And they gave it to him

Chase Peckham:   35:25
Yeah, so I mean, it's really amazing. We talk about community all the time in the different organizations that we work within in collaboration. And they have come through many, many times. Now, not every story is like that. Not every story is really You know, I mean, that was that was crazy. $3000 is not gonna help them. It was a boost. It was exactly that. What it's used for, for the most part, are like our I mean, how was trying to figure out how they were gonna make their budget work and he went through the process, and he worked hard. He and his wife, and they started learning how to communicate about it. They went through it with Felipe and they started putting all these things that were recommended and and put in front of him to practice. And he had paid. They paid off a lot of debts with that $3000 and basically freed themselves up to put their money in the places where it needed to be where it was less of the I mean, I think he mentioned in the interview that he was talking about that way, just weren't aware of where our money was going, and that's most the time. That's the case with most people, especially ones that are struggling financially is it's not necessarily always how much money they're making its how much money they're spending and That could just don't realize all the different places that it's going. And we've talked about that in this podcast many, many times, and that just doesn't change. So it's Felipe can talk about this more because he really sits down and it works with these individuals and families more often, um than I do. But you see how Just changing their views, Kind of sitting with Felipe and taking a look on paper or in a computer screen and seeing here it is. Here's this map that we're trying to create from you. So you're looking at this, And here is your location, right. This is where you're starting from. You want to end up on a drive to New York City or go to somewhere, you need to know where you sit and stand before you can make that trek. Wherever it is, you want to go, and when they take a look at it, a lot of times they go, Oh, my God,

Felipe Arevalo:   37:42
Yeah, It's often times to be honest, when we do a budget and this is across all demographics, we oftentimes go ahead. We'll do the income. Everyone kind of figure out what their income is. Occasionally, you know, wanna talk to people who are part timer or hours changed. That's a little bit difficult. For the most part, though, people can tell me what their incomes and they're fixed expenses. Everyone knows what the rent is in their cell phone. All that. That's not very fun. The part that gets interesting is when you go talking about some of these variable expenses and you say, How much do you spend a month on groceries. And you get silence and or you get a question more than an answer in, uh, 300 right? And like, I don't know . Yeah, I don't know, E. Does that sound about right? Well, you know, everyone is different. Um, for four people know that does not sound about right. 300 on groceries and either, you know, you really listen to that podcast episode on groceries and took it to heart or you're underestimating, um, how much you really spend. And oftentimes we finish. We compare the income to the expenses, and I say, You know, it looks like you're doing pretty good. You should have an extra $700. Ah, at the end of the month, and then they Then they look at me and say, No, I'm breaking, Even if I'm lucky. And then then it becomes okay. Well, here's a little homework. None of us like homework, but, um, it does become part where they have to. Maybe I have them track their expenses so they can get a real understanding of how much they're actually spending in some of these categories. Because if we're $700 over, they either A. forgot something or B. underestimated how much they actually spend on one or more of these categories. Because if you can take it and then I tell him, you know what? If you can spend this, take this home, live on this budget, you have an extra $700 at the end of the month, you could start paying off debt. Well, no, I don't know that that's realistic, Then. Then it becomes a part of the process to go back and say, This is This was your predicted budget. Let's get your actual budget. And then they get back in the You know what? I didn't realize how much we spent on groceries or how much I spend on eating out. Yeah, so it's a whole process. It's not just a one time thing, as part of this boost application to get the most out of it, Um, and to show that effort that that they're trying to, um, move their finances in, ah, positive direction, it does take effort. It's not that easy. Um, It's never easy to look at yourself and say I need to change this Ah, that's with finances or anything else. so it just It's ah longer process that they benefit from going through.

Katie Utterback:   40:45
That makes sense. So do you guys have people come back to you after? Maybe they won or they even if they didn't win, if they went through the process of working with you on a budget, do they come back to you and like, thank you for, like, some of the financial information or education that you shared with them? Or do you have people passing on the tips to other people in the military, too?  

Chase Peckham:   41:07
We have families that have reported back to us like Al, and are champions for the program because they have gotten so much out of it and we have that stick with us or keep coming back and we'll say, Well, I've run into this. What would you recommend? One boost family. We literally that money got them. They were being they were moving back home. He was getting out. It was a whole family. Yeah, and they literally used that money to without going into debt and getting them back home near the rest of their family and kind of starting the rest of their lives. Post-service. So, you know, even those kinds of things. Ah, we talk about this all the time when we're working with people on their budgets and when we're doing presentations is we're not telling people what to do with their money. We're not telling people what to do with their budgets will make recommendations, Felipe makes recommendations all the time, but they really know their lives. Interests needs more than we ever could and ever can you know, even as close as they get to us, we can help them make educated decisions. But ultimately it has to be their decision and doing what's right for them. Bottom line. They've got to cut somewhere a lot of times, or they can re-evaluate where their money is going, like we talked about, you know, eating out all the time or what their shopping bill is. A lot of times when we don't think about this, it could be a simple as just moving expenses. A lot of times we don't even think about what that could be.  

Katie Utterback:   42:55
Oh, yeah, I imagine, for people the military's who were moving much more frequently right than the average person, you're incurring way more expenses just from that alone. And the financial insecurity must creep up on you a lot more like, especially if you're like I may be going to a war zone or something.  

Chase Peckham:   43:16
Well, the family could be split up. There's lots of different things because one's being deployed. Other is staying either where they're stationed or they're moving back home near family and friends for help. Uh, that or they're moving into San Diego, which there BAH goes up. That's the housing finances that they get. They get so much to live in in a certain area and they will do the cost of living. And there's a lot of times it's weird. It's funny how they'll move. They'll get stationed somewhere else and there BAH goes down yet they'll still have this place. They're trying to rent out over here, and they go over there. So it's all relative, right? The budget still gotta stretch wherever they're living. Uh, the BAH is gonna change. You move to somewhere less expensive. You're not gonna get that same $2200 a month for your housing that you would get in San Diego, and I'm just throwing that number out there. That's not exactly what people will get if you're listening. This don't get all over me that you get less or more than that, Um, but that's just the idea that they constantly and that could be every three years. You know, it happens quite often. The life of these service members is extraordinary,  

Katie Utterback:   44:37
sure. So, for the boost for Hero's award, um, I guess applicants. They have to be stationed in San Diego in San Diego County?  

Chase Peckham:   44:47
They can be stationed anywhere, anywhere, anywhere they could call from anywhere in the United States. They could call from abroad if they wanted to. It's just happen. Also, that application,

Felipe Arevalo:   44:58
a huge almost all of them are

Chase Peckham:   45:00
About  99% and most of that's because that we get referrals from all the partner organizations that we have.

Felipe Arevalo:   45:06
Yeah, there's tons of organizations here in town that are all looking to help out the military slash veterans, and we all do it in our unique ways. So it becomes something where you know they know what we do. We know what they do. And we can kind of, you know, you need help right now for these quick expense limits and you over to these this organization because that's not something we do. And they might look at someone you know, you'd be a good idea for you to talk to the San Diego Financial Literacy Center looking to the boost for heroes award.

Katie Utterback:   45:40
So the $3000 award, Where does that money come from?  

Chase Peckham:   45:45
That money is purely raised 100% by our boost for heroes Golf Classic. So we're going into our seventh year in 2020 our seventh annual, and it will be at the country Club, uh, Rancho Bernardo. All the net proceeds from that event pay for that $3000 award. So that's everything. And usually we'll make more than enough money that will fund at least one to two years ahead.  

Katie Utterback:   46:15
Is that a public golf tournament too?  

Chase Peckham:   46:16
Anybody can sign up. It's corporations, organizations. Anybody can buy a foursome Ah, and go out and play. It's it's We limit it to 120 golfers. So, uh, it's not a five hour round. It's usually a pretty quick four hour plus round that people don't aren't waiting. There's lots of great things on the course. There's there's beverages, there's lots of fun. We have a scan in that will shoot the golf ball 400 some yards they hit the green would try and

Felipe Arevalo:   46:47
hit a hole in one on that part for

Chase Peckham:   46:49
Yeah, we have. Um I

Katie Utterback:   46:51
I think I saw a taco truck on one hole one year?

Chase Peckham:   46:54
Oh there was tacos. Absolutely  Social Tap San Diego

Felipe Arevalo:   46:59
Um, I know Sharps always out there. They have their technology

Chase Peckham:   47:03
Sharp's been with us every single year.

Felipe Arevalo:   47:05
Yeah, they have. They donate, and they have their their booth out there. Culligan water is giving us water in the past as well. Um,

Katie Utterback:   47:14
these are fairly large companies that are working. Okay.  

Chase Peckham:   47:18
Yeah, There's a lot of great companies around San Diego, uh, that support us great partners and what we try to build every year, because that I mean, that's what that's for. That one event raises the money for this boost for our heroes program. And I mean, we'd love to take it to where we're giving a boost award every other month. Ah, $3000 awards or up up that award $5000 give em a little bit bigger boost. I mean, those are things that we're looking at, but we're looking for the longevity of it more than we are. Can we rate? But we raised more money, significantly more money for that tournament than the board can sit around and discuss. Where do we go with this? Do we up the amount? Do we up the frequency with which we do it right now? It's every quarter. So we give up for awards at a year and, ah, you know, we'd like to increase that one way or the other. But that goes with how big this event gets.  

Katie Utterback:   48:15
So in addition, to the golf tournament is there another way that people could donate?  

Chase Peckham:   48:22
I guess if they wanted to Giving Tuesday's coming up, having to do so anually right, there's Black Friday. There's, um, thanks get Saturday. But always around. Thanksgiving is black. Friday, the shopping that you have, I believe it's online Monday. Cyber Monday. Okay, there you go. And then we followed up the nonprofit of the world the charitable organizations of the world followed up with giving Tuesday so anybody can donate at any time and earmark what it's for. So if somebody wanted to just go to our website SDFLC.org they want to donate, they can donate. So I'd like to donate for the boost for our heroes And that front those funds will go directly there.  

Katie Utterback:   49:07
And is that, um, the SDFLC is a non-profit? Is that a tax deduction?  

Chase Peckham:   49:13
And charity was charitable, giving it 100% nice boost a ah military hero  Break. Exactly.  

Katie Utterback:   49:25
So for those people interested in maybe applying for the award themselves, you talk to me a little bit about that process. Is this like a rolling application? I can apply any time of year to keep reapplying.  

Felipe Arevalo:   49:37
It's It's once 1/4. Um, so if if you have a plan, the passing like to do it again, you would have to reapply at the end. We've we have had applied the reapplicants and we've had re-applicants win. Yes, um, so So if you've done it before, um and it's it's actually really cool to see re-applicants. Because now, the first time I talked to him at the end of the ward period isn't three months ago. It's six months ago. So are nine months ago. So you're able to see their story develop over time as they go ahead and apply again, and they need to see them implement some of the suggestions and see what worked. And what did it mean? To be honest, you can't just assume everything we suggest is gonna work. Um, so, you know, and financial situations change so they can go on our website and SDFLC.org. I'm sure we'll put the link in the in the notes there, so I don't have to read the whole thing. But if you go to our boost, uh, page and kind of read about it, see previous winners. And then there's the little, uh, button there so that people can apply and the applications all online. Um then they just go through, found the info, you answer the questions and submit it, and then we'll get a little notification that there's a new application there. If we haven't already spoken to him, well, touch base with them trying to set up the financial analysis, Um, sort of a good time to do that and just kind of go from there.

Chase Peckham:   51:06
It's really interesting. I mean, just because somebody doesn't win the quarter doesn't mean that their story and what they've done is not impressive. Uh, they just there might have been another applicant that just was far and away, probably the deserving one that month. That doesn't mean the next time they apply they're not. So it's It's just one time and done doesn't mean.  

Katie Utterback:   51:30
I imagine the selection process has to be a little bit emotional, too. When you're reading these hard, be extraordinarily difficult.  

Chase Peckham:   51:38
It could be really, really difficult. A lot of times those applications aren't fully, you know, we might get 15 applications and 10 of them are filled out 100% correctly, so they're not. A lot of applicants don't want to finish certain parts of it for whatever reason. But then they go through and we read different ones, and then it goes to a group, and then that group kind of narrows it down, all nameless, so nobody knows who is what, and then they're chosen that way

Felipe Arevalo:   52:10
they might have some questions like follow up questions for the finalists will help me reach back out, try and get more and phone clarification on certain things. I'm and then they select winner and call him back,. Honestly, So that's the favorite. It's my favorite call I make every quarter. Uh, to be honest, it's It's really cool to like what? Really I I won?! I never win anything or those kinds of reactions like, Wow, I didn't think that, you know, I thought we were just fine, but I didn't think that actually went. And it's really cool to just hear the the, um, the exciting exciting emotionally and and then to see And then you had to meet him in person. When you hand him the award, you know,

Chase Peckham:   52:56
you've been there for these. I mean, they're tearjerkers. Some of them, yes, we have staff that will be watching and clapping and hearing these stories and going Oh, my gosh. I mean, some of them are just really really They'll touch your heart.  

Katie Utterback:   53:11
Yeah, I try really hard not to cry like I don't want to be that girl, but I can't help it with some of the stories.  

Chase Peckham:   53:19
And it's really fun, too, because a lot of times the organizations that will refer them, their case worker or whatever they might come to and then they're all super excited and it's really neat. I mean, it makes this makes all the work that goes into the event, all the work that goes into working with these individuals. It makes all of it worth it, like 10 times over.  

Katie Utterback:   53:43
That makes sense. so just one more time. Where do I go to find out information or apply for this award?  

Felipe Arevalo:   53:49
so you would go to our website SDFLC.org/BoostForOurHeroes and you could read more about it. Exciting stuff.