Seniors needed for government, nonprofit work
Judy Burrow works for the American Red Cross, but she could be a poster child for the Senior Aides program.
The program has the dual purpose of job training and extra income for senior citizens, and providing low-cost help for government and nonprofit agencies.
Burrow, 59, of Eva went to work for the Morgan-Lawrence County chapter a year ago as a senior aide, and will begin regular employment Wednesday as an administrative assistant.
"I never dreamed that it would lead into something that I enjoy as much as I enjoy it," the BellSouth retiree said. "The people I work with are wonderful and the job duties also."
Her employment could not have worked out better if the North-central Alabama Regional Council of Governments scripted it.
"The whole point is you have this person you have trained," said Cissy Pearson, NARCOG's interim project director for the program.
"You're comfortable with them, they're comfortable with your agency and they have already proven their dependability. It opens up an opportunity for us to have someone else in our program."
Openings
The Senior Aides program has openings for qualified people 55 and older to fill slots in Morgan, Lawrence and Cullman counties.
In Lawrence County, three of the 14 slots for senior aides are open.
There are two vacancies each in Morgan and Cullman counties.
Limestone County's Senior Aides program, which also has openings, is administered through Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments.
Some of the slots must be filled by July 1, which is why Pearson wants to get the word out.
"We're always looking for qualified applicants," she said. "Sometimes it's hard for us to recruit because of what's entailed in the program."
Applicants must meet certain income requirements. For instance, a single person can earn no more than $12,250 annually.
A family of two can have a maximum of $16,500 in annual income.
While senior aides provide a service to the community, and receive financial compensation, it is not an employment program.
The government terms it a training program and the amount of training time is limited to one year before participants find unsubsidized employment.
"The whole purpose is to allow them a chance to obtain some training and develop some skills and tools so they can find a job," Pearson said.
The host agencies pay a portion of the salaries.
Lawrence County pays NARCOG $1,100 for each senior aide, whose work includes the county's five senior nutrition centers, the county archives and road department and county parks, such as the Jessie Owens Memorial Park and Museum, where they maintain the grounds and keep the museum open.
They earn a minimum wage of $5.15 an hour and can work up to 19?hours a week.
"It benefits not only host agency; it benefits the seniors as well," Pearson said.
"This gives them that little bit of extra to make their lives a little more comfortable."
Job interview
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