New Grant Boosts Alabama Seniors

For Immediate Release September 13, 2002
Contact: Bill Curtis (256) 237-6741 or Tony Sarmiento (301) 578-8469

WASHINGTON – Under a renewed Department of Labor grant, Senior Service America has expanded its awards to cover nearly every county in Alabama, providing $4.1 million in funding to help low-income senior citizens gain employment that benefits communities throughout the state.

The latest beneficiaries of the grants, authorized by Title V of the Older Americans Act of 1965, are the Central Alabama Aging Consortium, at $393,224, and the South Central Alabama Development Commission, $329,549. Both are located in Montgomery.

The Labor Department allocates 22 percent of the Title V funding to state agencies on aging and 78 percent to 13 national organizations, including Senior Service America Inc., AARP Foundation and Experience Works/Green Thumb. Senior Service America is the only national sponsor that runs its program entirely through subgrants to local nonprofit and government agencies, including 13 Alabama regional councils and area agencies on aging.

“The Senior Service America program has been a real blessing for Alabama seniors,” said Bill Curtis, executive director of the East Alabama Region Planning and Development Commission. “The Title V grant money is being delivered directly to our communities, where the jobs and the services are located.”

Said Tony Sarmiento, executive director of Senior Service America, “We’re very proud to be able to help Alabama’s regional councils find good jobs for senior citizens who really matter to their communities. These agencies use their expertise to find employers who can provide new skills and even permanent employment for economically disadvantaged seniors.”

The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) of Senior Service America is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. SCSEP is an equal opportunity program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.