My experience underscores the value of getting to know the club members and showing yourself to be committed to the hobby. I was 31 when I started RC. I showed up with a SPAD trainer and a second hand radio bought in the RCU classifieds. The instructors liked that I had invested money already, but were critical of my "gutter pipe airplane." The used radio cost me my plane on its 4th flight because the previous owner had changed the channel without retuning or relabeling the radio (72mhz). I was discouraged, but asked if I could keep learning on the club trainers and told them I was sending in my transmitter to be repaired. I kept coming to training nights and waiting my turn and accepting whatever help, as much or as little (sometimes none) as I got. Two weeks later one of the instructors gave me an engine, servos, and a good receiver. Another club member pulled an old trainer out of the attic, and another fellow student invited me over to his shop to teach me how to recover it. Those guys invested in me because I showed them I would be a dedicated club member and was taking the hobby seriously. Their gifts weren't particularly valuable, but they saved me hundreds of dollars. Over the years, I've watched other RC pilots receive good used airplanes after they had shown they were serious about the hobby but had limited funds. A 15 year old and his dad joined our club last year. The kid was mature and respectful, patient, and very willing to learn. And he learned fast. He received two good airplanes RTF after winning second in his first SPA contest flying his trainer. I think he's gotten one or two others since then. He and his dad do the hobby together, but they were very clear up front that their budget was limited. He's doing great in the hobby so far, and most of us are glad to help him.
Contrast that with a guy I might have helped a few years ago. Young guy was at training night with his dad, and now I was the instructor. I was teaching because so many had invested in me that I wanted to give back to the club in some way. The guy was probably around 20, and a complete moron. He had no discipline and wouldn't listen, big smile on his face all the time said he was all about instant fun, and his dad was sitting in a chair looking quite disappointed next to the two brand new broken airplanes on the ground next to him. I started up a conversation with the moron kid just after he made a terrible takeoff with a Cessna. I started explaining how to do a proper takeoff to avoid the sideslip stall he had done, when he blurted out "What's a sideslip?" and firewalled the throttle. His Cessna spun into the ground seconds later after he made the same mistake again that I was explaining to him how not to make. He took the pieces over to his dad to add to the pile, and said, "Did you see that Dad? I crashed another one!" I had two good sport planes in my garage, not particularly valuable but definitely usable just waiting for a newbie who needed them. But this kid wasn't worth investing in, so he got nothing from me or anybody else.
So the point being that there is lots of help to be had from RC hobbyists for young pilots who are serious about the hobby and have the maturity put the time in to learn it. Don't show up expecting anything, don't act like anyone owes you anything, and don't be selfish. Do let it be known that your budget is limited and that you are doing extra work to get planes and equipment. Do ask around if there are planes for sale or possibly for barter for grass mowing or odd jobs. Graciously accept advice and instruction from anybody willing to offer it, and be patient. If you do, this time next year you'll probably be well started in the hobby and having a great time with it.