Established in 1963, Older Americans Month (OAM) is celebrated every May. Led by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), OAM is a time to recognize older Americans’ contributions, highlight aging trends and reaffirm commitments to serving the older adults in our communities.
Goodwill Industries of Kentucky services this population through its Senior Community Service and Employment Program (SCSEP). SCSEP is designed to link low-income older workers to on-the-job training that can help them move into paid employment. Through SCSEP, Goodwill matches eligible individuals ages 55 and older with nonprofits or public agencies for on-the-job training in a professional work environment, paid for by the SCSEP program. The program gives preference to seniors who have physical or mental disabilities, are veterans or spouses of veterans or who need job training.
Ardith Weber, an Elkton, Kentucky, resident, enrolled in SCSEP in 2019 after being referred by her husband, Jack, who was in SCSEP prior. She was placed at the Trenton Community Center but then was rotated to the Todd County Senior Center. She got to know the community partners that came to the senior center, and with her great networking skills, she became employed with two jobs in April 2024.
Ardith loves both jobs because she can help ones in need. She is thankful for her SCSEP training and stated she would never have gotten either job if she wasn’t placed at the senior center. She said she loves working and enjoys all aspects of both jobs.
For more information about OAM, visit the official OAM website. For more information about Goodwill’s SCSEP, contact Senior Program Manager Sonya Johnson at (859) 806-7957 or sonya.johnson@goodwillky.org.