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.
Donna Allen, a Manchester, Kentucky, resident, has a disability and experienced some serious health issues before she enrolled in SCSEP after a referral from the Mayor of Manchester, Steve Collins. She was unemployed for 13 years prior to coming to Goodwill.
Donna is now learning food and customer service skills as a SCSEP trainee and has even earned her food handler certification. Goodwill provided her with workwear for her host agency, Big Hickory Gold Course, where she anticipates being hired in the near future. Currently, she’s able to supplement her income and enjoys working with the public.
“Goodwill has been a blessing to me,” she said. “I live on a fixed income and the extra money helps me live more comfortably. Getting out of the house and being with the public has been very helpful for someone who has to deal with health issues. I am thankful I found out about the SCSEP program.”
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.