On Oct. 5, Rio Hondo College’s Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education (C.A.R.E.) program hosted a breakfast fundraiser at a local restaurant, which was a success from the amount of donations amassed to the number of supporters in attendance.

Spearheaded by C.A.R.E.’s coordinate ambassador and E.O.P.& S./C.A.R.E. advisory board member, Nadine Hernandez with the help from C.A.R.E leaders Nicole Reyes and Arlene Lopez.

Hernandez led the fundraiser last spring semester and plans to have one again every term to empower students, support C.A.R.E. specialist Laura Verdugo, collect donations and breaking generational cycles.

C.A.R.E. hosts a number of workshops for their members such as study nights, which specifically allows the students who are also single parents the chance to be at school working on assignments while also having the leisure of bringing along their children.

The parent students are given the opportunity to work together in a relaxed study environment with tutors available to help and their children being entertained with activities in the room next door.

In addition to the money raised from the flapjack fundraiser participants also donated items to C.A.R.E. which is open to accepting donations always and hands them out at their workshops or given to those who could use them.

The funds raised will be used towards a Holiday workshop that will be around winter break and consist of daylong activities for the C.A.R.E. students to enjoy with their children.

C.A.R.E is a service to the students but in the long run it is more about the children as stated by Hernandez, “to me that’s what the vision is, building towards the future, breaking generational cycles of dependence on welfare and abuse or whatever it is.”

Reyes shared similar sentiments stating, “as it is, my 7-year-old says ‘mommy I’m going to college, I’m going to college, to play all the sports.’”

“I don’t want my sons to look at mommy as a failure. I want them to see mommy succeeding in life.”

Beginning next month, C.A.R.E and E.O.P.&S will begin accepting applications from students for the Spring 2014 semester.

The two programs are also connected with CalWORKS, which has a continuous admission process.

Fomer CalWorks Coordinator Counselor, Chrstine Aldrich, became the interim director of E.O.P.&S, C.A.R.E. and CalWorks on July 1, following the retiring of Adrian Tanakeyowma.

“I’m here to be of service to the students,” said Aldrich of her position.  Lopez was introduced into the C.A.R.E and E.O.P.&S programs through the help of Aldrich. “If it wasn’t for those two programs I don’t think I would have got through my first semester.”