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Thursday, 30 April 2009 |
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The Obama administration’s economic stimulus package reaches older adults in Arkansas through an employment program. 
Mitzy Johnson, project director for the American Association of Retired Persons in Central Arkansas, said that just under $500 million dollars ($442,000) was funded for the Arkansas AARP Senior Employment Program. She said nearly 15 counties in the state, including Saline, was selected to receive a portion of the funding that helps people age 55 and older find jobs.
“In this economy there is a lot of people that need jobs, but don’t forget about the seniors,” Johnson said. “We are going to help as many seniors as we can find jobs until the money runs out.”
The program is on a first-come, first-served basis. Johnson, however, said the way the programs works, AARP has “a consistent fluidity of money” by “shuttling people through the program into new jobs.” She also said any senior looking for a job is helped as much as AARP can.
“Everyone gets served,” Johnson said. “We’ll either offer new training for a person or set them up with employer’s hiring for the skills they already have.”
With the national economy in a downward spiral, Johnson said the number of people applying for the program has dramatically increased. She also said there are incentives for employers looking to participate in the program and hire seniors.
“We work with the employers to try a senior out in the job field and we’ll pay them during that time,” Johnson said. “That is a great way for businesses to offset their budget.”
The Public Housing Authority in Benton has been one of those businesses taking interest in the program.
Doris Earp of Benton is one of the many older adults to work at the local housing authority. Earp, who said she is “over 60” applied for the program the last week of January and now does clerical work for the housing authority.
“AARP has been very good to me and this is a wonderful place to work,” she said. “The day that I applied for the program, they got me the interview and I was working the next day.”
Earp and her husband, Curtis Earp Sr., used to own a used car dealership, called D-Cats Auto Sales, just outside of Benton. He was also a retired Benton firefighter, but after 12 years of selling vehicles, he had a stroke. Doris Earp said the business ended and she started staying home four years ago to care for her husband, but financially, it was time for her to get back into the job market.
“It became a necessity,” she said. “But I also needed to get out into the world a little bit. Your world becomes small when you are a caretaker. I love the interaction of the workplace, it keeps me alert. It was never my desire to retire to a rocking chair, so this is good for me.”
Doris Earp said her family, including her husband, has been very supportive of her re-entering the work force. She also said her working has even helped improve her husband’s situation.
“He even cooks for me sometimes,” she said. “I’ll come home and he will have a meal ready. It’s nice to see him get into a place where he can do that, so yes he has been very supportive of me working again.”
Johnson said Doris Earp’s story is an example of how it helps seniors in similar situations.
She added, “All the money goes back into Saline County. It’s very exciting and there have been people from different areas and backgrounds of life applying in the program. Even very highly trained people have applied. We have tripled the number of phone calls and people coming into the office to apply. That says there is a definite, tremendous need in the community for seniors.”
For more information about the AARP Senior Employment Program, call the Little Rock office of AARP WorkSearch Program at 661-1098 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday.
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