Courtesy photo: The Salvation Army
Riverside, CA — The Salvation Army will host a free “Lunch & Learn” workshop on Thursday, Oct. 23, aimed at helping Inland Empire families protect their assets and make informed estate planning decisions.
The event, titled “Protecting Your Family & Increasing Your Income,” will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Victoria Club, located at 2521 Arroyo Drive in Riverside.
A complimentary lunch will be provided, and attendees will receive free will-planning kits. Seating is limited, and reservations are required.
The Lunch & Learn series is designed to provide clear, accessible information to local families about wills, living trusts and estate planning options.
According to Arlene Santos, a representative from The Salvation Army’s Southern California division, many residents mistakenly believe estate planning is only for the wealthy.
“Many people think that you have to have a lot of wealth in order to have a living trust,” Santos said. “And that’s not the case. Wewant to make sure that people have the opportunity to know that whether you have great wealth or just a little bit, we want to put things in place for you to know what your options are and why it’s important.”
Santos explained that without a will or trust, even modest estates often end up in probate — a lengthy, expensive and public process that can burden grieving families.
“When your family members or kids or whoever it is are grieving one of the most difficult times of their lives, that’s something that they don’t want to deal with,” she said. “Oftentimes estates, small or large, go into probate, which can cost time, money andresources, and takes away from the estate.”
One of the biggest challenges the Salvation Army encounters in Inland Empire communities, Santos said, is hesitation.
Many families receive information about estate planning but delay taking action.
“I think the biggest challenge that we see is decision paralysis,” she said. “People just say, ‘Okay, well, I have the information, I’ll doit later.’ And they put it off or they feel uncomfortable.”
Santos emphasized that failing to act can have serious consequences, especially for families with children or grandchildren under their care.
“If you have kids or you have grandkids that you are a guardianship of and you don’t have anything in place, your families now oryour children are now wards of the court,” she said. “We
want you to act on it because we want you to protect your assets. We want you to protect your family members. We want you toprotect your total assets and make sure that your wishes are honored.”
Santos shared an example from a previous workshop held in July.
A family approached one of the presenters, Western Territorial Director Jeff Heseltine, with questions about how to structure theirtrust to ensure that their assets went to their son and grandchild while excluding the son’s spouse from inheriting.
“They were able to refer them to a local attorney who specializes in estate planning,” Santos said. “Those are the things that we see. And again, people just don’t know that they can definitely vet and interview multiple attorneys to find the right one that will fit them.”
The Salvation Army does not provide legal or tax advice but maintains referral networks of trusted attorneys, tax advisors andCPAs to help participants follow through on their estate planning needs.
Santos highlighted that while the content of each Lunch & Learn is similar, the Salvation Army’s approach is unique.
“We’ve been around for about 180 years,” Santos said. “We’re tailored to helping the community, usually with all our focus on services free of charge because of the generous donations and support we receive from our community. And so as much as wereceive from the community, we want to ensure we pour back into our community and offer these resources.”
She added that the organization’s mission is rooted in care and service.
“I think because we care and we want to do the Lord’s work and just ensure that we are providing everything that we can to help anycommunity that we go into, I think that’s just what makes us unique from other organizations,” she said.
In addition to the Oct. 23 event, the Salvation Army is preparing for its busy holiday season.
Upcoming programs include Red Kettle Kickoffs, Thanksgiving meals, the Angel Tree gift program and Christmas drives to support local families in need.
For the Lunch & Learn event, reservations are required and can be made by calling 800-275-3197 or emailing SCLegacy@usw.salvationarmy.org.
Free parking is available at the Victoria Club.
“A large percentage of people don’t have anything in writing at all,” she said. “So their estate would end up in probate, and that’swhat we’re trying to help avoid here. So the sooner it gets done, the better.”
