Program gives workers #039;experience#039;

Published 12:00 am Monday, November 4, 2002

Every Monday through Friday from 9 a m. to 1 p.m., Myrtle Pierson 77, can be found organizing and rearranging the donated merchandise at the Mower County Senior Center's Myrtle P. Unique Boutique, also known as the Usedabit store.

"I love my job. I hear a lot of people say how much they hate getting up in the morning to go work. I never say that,"

Pierson said.

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Pierson, who had been volunteering at the Senior Center for several years, was hired last January by the center. She was a participant of Experience Works. The project was formerly known as Green Thumb, a 36-year old non-profit organization that offers training, employment and community services opportunities for low-income individuals 55 and older throughout the United States.

"It is nice to be able to work. We have a lot of seniors in this town. It is nice that this is out there for people who want to work and are able to work," Pierson said.

Her supervisor and executive director at the center, Paulette Anderson, said that hiring Pierson has worked well because it helps the center's budget problem and participants have strong work ethic.

Arletta Bungum, field area representative for Experience Works in Austin, said that some people do not have enough money for their medication and others are bored, so they need the work.

"At the same time, they're are finding out what it's like to be out there in the work force again," Bungum said.

Bungum, who works at the Workforce Center on Wednesday afternoons, recruits and signs workers who fit the requirements and are eligible to be participants in the program. She then seeks qualified non-profit organizations or governmental agencies such as hospitals, schools and day cares that may be compatible with the skills, interest or goals of the participants with the intention of participants being hired.

The agencies provide training, supervision and work experience. Experience Works, however, pays all wages and fringe benefits for six months to a year, until the participant is employed by the agency.

"We are funded by the Department of Labor so if we do not get people hired, we lose our funding," Bungum said. If the agency does not hire the participant with in the design period of time, the person is then relocated to another agency.

Participants receive minimum wage and for the most part workers average 20 hours a week. An individual assessment plan is designed for the participants to set goals and dates. Supervisors keep track of the progress of the worker and periodically report to the organization.

Lucille Cook and Dolores Svoboda, Experience Works participants, said that the opportunity this organization provides, helps their incomes. Svoboda who was hired by the Salvation Army Store on 1998 said that she worked at other places such as St. Marks and a Lyle school before being hire as a merchandised tagger at the Salvation Army store.

"I did not want to sit at home all the time. This is about the best job we've had and it keeps Lucille out of trouble," Svoboda said.

Experience Works also provides other programs including Geezer.com, an e-commerce Web site that gives senior artisans and crafters a market by listing thousands of handcrafted products made by seniors across the country.

Lori Espe, Volunteer/Programs coordinator at the Salvation Army, hired Svoboda.

"I think this is a great program," she said. "Elderly people have so much wisdom that they can bring to the work place. The hard part is when we get all the nice people and we can't figure out how to keep them."

Roxana Orellana can be reached at 434-2214 or by e-mail at roxana.orellana@austinherald.com