Faith-Based Groups Help Chicago Seniors Find Jobs

For Immediate Release September 19, 2002
Contact: Naomi Rubin, JVS (312) 357-4519
Barbara Carlo, CCAC (312) 655-7711
Tony Sarmiento, Senior Service America (301) 578-8469

WASHINGTON—A renewed Department of Labor grant is giving a much-needed boost to low-income senior citizens looking to lift themselves up with good jobs that provide community service. In the Chicago area, two faith-based organizations are the primary resources for these seniors.

The Jewish Vocational Service and Employment Center is receiving $828,979, and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago is receiving $740,240 in funding this year for the Senior AIDES program, developed for the Department of Labor by Senior Service America Inc. The money is used to employ hundreds of seniors throughout the Chicago metropolitan area.

“The Senior AIDES program has been a wonderful opportunity for our seniors, and also for our communities at large,” said Naomi Rubin, employment services supervisor for the Jewish Vocational Service. “Without the Senior Service America grant, we would not be able to provide the training and job opportunities that we do.”

The Senior AIDES program helps people like Estella Johnson, who was placed at the Fagel & Haver Law Firm in Chicago through the Jewish Vocational Service. With no prior office experience, Johnson quickly made herself an important part of the office team, securing a permanent position coordinating meeting services for the firm.

Senior Service America is one of 13 national organizations that receive grants under Title V of the Older Americans Act of 1965, but it is the only one that sub-grants the funds directly to local government agencies and non-profit organizations, including a variety of faith-based groups.

“We’re very proud to be able to fund the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Jewish Vocational Service and Employment Center,” said Tony Sarmiento, executive director of Senior Service America. “These organizations are ideally suited to help seniors find good jobs that really matter to the community.”

The two Chicago-area faith-based groups work with a number of community organizations to place seniors. “Seniors sell themselves because of their dedication and dependability,” says Barbara Carlo, department director of Chicago Senior Services for Catholic Charities. “Many site supervisors eventually budget to hire their senior aide permanently rather than train another worker in that position.”

For example, there is Thomas Campbell. A former bus driver, Campbell was assigned by Catholic Charities to the Ada Niles Adult Day Service for maintenance work and substitute bus driving. Within six months, the regular driver retired and Campbell was offered a permanent job that gave him more hours and a higher salary. He says he enjoys working with disabled senior citizens and being part of a team providing care.

Employers are also benefiting from the program. Norma Nalls, a supervisor at Adult Day Services for the frail elderly, says that with grants like this, it is possible to offer better programs and find personnel with training to hire. She adds that seniors like Campbell are tremendous workers.

“The Senior AIDES program is important because a lot of seniors still have valuable skills that can be enhanced and used in various settings,” says Nalls. “These folks are not ancient. They have a lot of perfection in their skills.”

Community agencies working with the Jewish Vocational Service and Employment Center include the American Red Cross, the Holistic Community Outreach Service, the Nathalie Salmon House, Mt. Sinai Hospital and the South Asian Family Service. Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago also work with such groups as the South Chicago Library and Catholic Home Care.

Senior Service America has awarded nearly $3 million in Title V grants in Illinois this year, part of $65 million awarded in 27 states nationwide.

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.