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Show m mm f West Valley Salt Lake City, Utah Vol. 229, No. 174 Wednesday Morning September 12, 1984 Agency Helps Elderly With Employment By Keri Schreiner Tribune Staff Writer In January, Louise Callahan will finish school and pound the pavement e in search of a job with ail the confidence of a young college graduate. Louise is 62 years old. Like many older Americans, the death of her spouse left Ms. Callahan alone and struggling to survive with a Social Security check as her only means of sustenance. For her, and thousands of others, Green Thumb Inc., offered an alternative. Green Thumb Inc., is a national organization which was established in 1965 to provide part-tim- e public service employment at minimum wage for people older than 55. Its goal is to incorporate the growing number of senior citizens back into the work force by providing them with subsidized job experience. Assistant Librarian For Ms. Callahan, Green Thumb provided a part-tim- e job as an assistant librarian, as well as a referral to the Opportunities Industrialization . Center for additional training in office skills. There is no reason for people to sit back, fold their arms and say theyre too old to work, she said. The training' provided by Green Thumb through public agencies and it private organizations is intended as a stepping stone to private employment. The aim of Green Thumb is to get those enrolled back in the work force with a marketable skill, said area supervisor Doug Meacham, not to feed off a public trough, but to get them back into the economy. As area supervisor, Mr. Meacham assesses the ability and interests of the enrollees and finds a position suitable to them. Some training positions for the Green Thumbers may be assisting teachers in schools, blazing nature trails in state parks, helping the disabled through home health care, working in libraries or directing travelers in tourist information booths throughout the state. The efforts to tap the reservoir of talents and experience in the senior citizen community is critical with the increase in the number of elderly in the United States. During the period of 1971 to 1980 full-tim- low-inco- non-prof- Louise Callahan, a widow, has been helped by national Green Thumb, Inc., a organization which was es- - i tablished to provide part-tim- e public service employment at minimum wage for low income people over 55 years old. Purchase 10 Acres of Land Board Recommends Expanding Taylorsville Park Special to The Tribune A recreation TAYLORSVILLE board recommended that the Salt Lake County Commission purchase 10 acres of land to expand Taylors-yill- e Park. - . I; The County Recreation, Parks and Center Board approved spending $1,195,000 for the Granite District Alternative School site, 4800 South and Redwood Road, which had been declared surplus by the district. Multi-Purpo- i Representatives of the Taylors- - Community Council requested the purchase of the property which the school offered to the county for the appraised price. Population Expected to Double Donna Crase, treasurer for the Community Council, pointed out that the population of 45,000 in the area is expected to double by 1989. She also said park space is scarce now. Most of the parks are used exclusively for baseball diamonds or soccer fields, and even if the county purchased the school site, it would be ville-Benni- BAKERS CASH approachto an area only a Band-Ai- d of young, large families who need something more, Mrs. Crase stated. Recreation board members told the Taylorsville delegation that if the land is purchased the money would have to come out of park develope ment funds which includes the West Valley Regional Park in Taylorsville. Softball Diamonds Mrs. Crase said that eight years of construction on the regional park has only yielded softball diamonds, as she tried to get a commitment for future 200-acr- improvements from the board. County Commissioner M. Tom Shimizu, suggested the recreation board, which was ready to reject the request, submit the purchase question to the County Commission for a final decision. The purchase should be linked to the countys ability to buy it without dipping into the park improvement funds, he said. The commissioner also suggested the recreation staff should develop picnic areas on other county-owne- d or managed land in Taylorsville-Ben-nio- n which would benefit all people. SEPTEMBER SPECIALS Markons $875 ALL FLAVORS AND COLORS (Including Guittards New Mint Milk Chocolate) FREE HARD CANDY DEMO Coming Sept. 20th BAKERS CASH & CARRY-- 367 West Paxton (1170 South) SLC 487-330- Every Tuesday Nite DRAPER GYM 0 7 to 9 p.m. 12441 So. 9th East Call Tom Anguay 0 ue. Were headed for a crisis, the Social Security program will have four to five people on it for every one worker employed, said Mr. Meacham. The life expectancy is growing. At the age of 60, most people will have 25 years to live on Social Security. Our goal is to transition these people into a job they can physically handle as a second career so they have a way of supporting themselves. Under Title V Mr. Meacham sees a solution in changing attitudes about retirement. Instead of thinking of retirement at age 60 or 65, people should consider the possibility of continuing their work, or if their work is too physically demanding, of seeking an alternative or a second career in a less demanding area. Green Thumb Inc., which operates under Title V of the Older Americans Act, has more than 22,000 enrollees nationwide, with 201 currently enrolled in Utah. Though the people involved with the Green Thumb program are trained, have decades of life and work experience, and are more than willing to put their time and energy into work, the Green Thumb motto of Ability is Ageless is not widely held in the private sector. You may be a good, qualified worker, said area leader Frank Karman, but if youre over 40 youre finished. Regional Director Yvonne Whea-do- n said she believes there is a definite stigma surrounding the hiring of older people in the American society. We offer people whove been through the mill, they have established work habits and realize they are depended on to do their job, said .Ms. Wheadon. But placement is still difficult because of a reluctance to hire older people. There is a myth that elderly people are more accident prone, which according to statistics is false, she said. Theyve learned through experience to take precautions. In addition to skill training, Green Thumb provides an extensive safety training program with safety guidelines for all fields of employment and general safety on and off the job. A WSEOFBUi!K & CARRY 5 BAGS MOLDING CHOCOLATE Guittwd the population older than 65 rose 31.4 percent, from 20 million to 26.3 million, a rise that is predicted to contin- 571-356- 4 CALIFORNIA BULK PISTACHIOS CINNAMON Reg. 5.95 LB. (Fill Your Own WHILE THEY LAST Draper BUY ONE LESSON AND RECEIVE ONE MONTH FREE LESSONS A ONLY 1864 W. 5400 So. IFaMULvAfFMIR Basketball i Aerobics ; - v fi a n rf- ; v .; Id i v n f CALL NOW s For A FREE FAMILY VISIT And Have a Real Family Affair! - A "JO-LEN- 254-14- 8 t ?i S.LC. 5611 OGDEN 75 E p v , 'rV. i V y i - J( ' " t v; : I , YD. WIDE 45-6- 0" ft V r 17 J ! YD. -- t. YD. COT.POLY. m, L v. . 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