Work force finds hard workers with program for seniors

By Elizabeth Ridenour
Times Staff Writer

March 25, 2008 11:45 am

— Gerald Rose, 67, found himself in a position of needing to supplement his income to be able to afford his medications.
“They keep raising the prices on everything,” he said. “If you don’t have the money, you can’t buy your medicine.”
Rose has been on disability since 1992. So when he got a postcard for people 55 and older who wanted a job, Rose decided to look into it.
He now works at the Senior Nutrition Site, serving food as part of the AARP’s WorkSearch program.
“I serve the food to about 24 people a day,” he said. “Then, we feed 25 or 26 at home.”
The AARP Foundation’s WorkSearch program hires older people who need to get back to work for various reasons, said Sherri Wright, director.
“Sometimes, their Social Security is just not enough to pay the bills, some have just moved here, some are recovering from illness and some may have been caregiving for family members, Wright said.
Rose has been with the program since August. The nutrition site is two blocks from his home, so it really saves on gas.
“I go down there about 20 after 8 (a.m.) every day, five days a week,” he said. “The bus brings people in about 10 a.m.”
Finding part-time employment through the federally funded program helps workers get back to work at their own pace at host agencies.
Workers are paired with a host agency for 20 hours per week and are paid a minimum wage of $5.85.
Some of the local host agencies include the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, nutrition centers OSU extension offices, museums, child care centers and Volunteers of America.
The AARP office in Muskogee serves 10 counties — Cherokee, Craig, Delaware, Mayes, Muskogee, Nowata, Okmulgee, Ottawa, Sequoyah and Wagoner.
Satellite offices have been established in Tahlequah and Okmulgee.
Reach Elizabeth Ridenour at 684-2929.