8
Thursday, October 12, 1978
University Daily Kansan
Mime Man
Staff Photo by TRISH LEWIS
Page Edwards has been performing mime for 12 years, and often plays as many as 25 characters in one performance. Residents at
Hashing Hall were entertained by Edwards' mime repertoire last night.
Program helps find jobs for retired senior citizens
By LORILINENBERGER
A little more than a month ago, things were looking bleak for Muriel Johnson.
Staff Renarter
Her husband, who is semi-invalid, was out of a job. The monthly bills were larger than the monthly Social Security checks. The couple had to dip in their lifelong savings account. And Mrs. Johnson could not find a job in Lawrence.
Finding employment for the elderly is a difficult task, McCoy said, but one that is greatly needed. Some elderly persons in Lawrence find it almost impossible to obtain jobs, primarily because of the stigmas attached to their age, he said.
McCoy said that many companies were unwilling to hire people over the age of 55 because the employee would work only 10 to 15 years before he reached retirement.
These same companies would then be required to provide some type of retirement
Today, the Johnson's situation has improved. Project Earn, a Douglas County college teacher, spent years of age and older, found a job for Mrs. Johnson in early September. The job has enabled her and her husband to live what Robert McCay, program director, calls a "sweet life."
"I DON'T THINK we would have been able to live if I hadn't given this job. Social Security allowed us only to breathe. I think children a little more out of life than just survival."
"I love this job," Mrs. Johnson, who works as a clerk at the Lawnance Animal Shelter, said yesterday. "I'm 70 years old in this is the best job I've ever had in my life.
program for the employee, which they consider to be a loss of profit, McCoy said.
He said he thought another reason that businesses were reluctant to hire the elderly was because of a myth that elderly people are not physically and mentally, than younger people.
"I THINK THAT PEOPLE who give the elderly person a chance will find that he is more dependable," McCoy said. "They'll learn to behave themselves without drained down by a hangover."
During the four months that Project Earn has been in operation, McCoy said, he has found two reasons why elderly persons seek employment.
The first, he said, was financial need.
"There is a new class of people emerging in the United States because of inflation," he added.
"Every year their Social Security benefits have eroded by about 8 percent. If they were receiving $100 a month in 1973, they are now only about $60 because of inflation."
The second reason, McCoy said, was a desire to be useful and to stay busy.
"EVERYONE WANTS to live an active life," he said. "Everyone wants to feel as if they are a part of things. The elderly are no different in that respect. In fact, I think they feel these needs more acutely than younger people."
Eva Waggoner, 56, said she wanted a job because of both financial and social needs
Like the Johnson's, the Waggoners found it necessary to withdraw money from their savings account to supplement the Social Security because of theReceive because of Mr. Waggoner's blindness.
Black group still plans minority newsletter
The Black Student Union still plans to publish a bi-weekly newsletter of minority news even though the Student Senate pared its printing request from $900 to $160 during supplemental budget hearings last week, said Clinton Burkhal, vice president of
Burkball said the newsletter was needed to publicize minority activities that the 10 teams were fighting against.
Kansan, "Burkhala said. 'So we feel that if we want our alumni known on campus we need to do better.'"
nurkhalall the newsletter would be distributed free from stands on campus. He said the letter would be geared to him and he would be written by minority education students.
"For example, last February, Black History Month was not mentioned in
Burkhald said BSU had expected the Senate to fund the newsletter, but now would have to find alternative ways of paying for it.
"I was getting really tired of just sitting at home doing nothing," she said. "But most of all, I was getting tired of seeing our savings account get smaller and smaller."
*we are starting from point zero," we
one hundred and fifty dollars won't
help us!*
Richard Winter, Student Senate treasurer, said $900 was an excessive amount of money for publishing a newsletter.
"WE WOUGHT that with $150, they could make 500 one-page letters once a month for 10 months," he said. "We didn't feel there was a great need to run the letters more
often because they are a new group. We've
offered them enough to get them started.
Until they are stronger, we don't want to
fund them too much."
welcome to join BSU. Membership dues are $2 a semester.
BSU was recognized as a group by the University last March. It will hold its first election in November and officials will take office in January.
BSU plans to start a tutoring program, but a talent show and conduct Black History Month
BSU had been inactive since 1974 when it dispersed after a series of problems. Some student Senators were against funding BSU because they said it had closed its meetings in violation of Kansas open meetings laws and had restricted its membership.
Mrs. Waggoner searched for a job for a year and a half before going to McCoy at Project Earn. She is now working as a sales representative. Department Store, 901 Massachusetts St.
Burkhalh said any KU student was
Rosie Quise, temporary chairman of BSU, said recently, "We would hope all black students would want to join. We are not going to do that because there are problems that relate to us solely because of our color and we should unite to try to solve those problems. We want to ensure that when decisions are made by the board, men and they are made in our best interests."
McCoy said some elderly people who came to him seemingly could not get enough to do. He cited the case of 70-year-old Jim Wynn.
IN THE MORNINGS, Wynn works as a custodian at a local car dealer. He does maintenance work and carpentry in the afternoons at the Lawrence KOA campgrounds. And at night, he spends a few hours on public library and locking it for the night.
"Combined with Social Security payments, this gives the 'o' boy a pretty nice little income," McCoy said. "I've just never seen a more energetic man."
"I found that retirement was not suited to me," he said. "When I heard about this program, I knew that I could manage it and I knew it was going to keep me busy."
McCoy, who is 68, said he became interested in helping elderly people find employment after he realized life was not over for him.
Project Earn is an extension of an agency of the same name based in St. Louis, Mo.
"I've been a work-horse all my life. This is a full-time job for me. I just couldn't be happy with retirement after the first couple of weeks."
MCOYO RETIRED LAST JUNE, after
working with the shoe retail business.
www.mcoyoretire.com
In preparation for the job, McCoy spent several weeks attending employment and Social Serycty workshops in Kansas City and Manhattan.
He also spent several days in St. Louis with the founders of the Project Earn
Project Earn is operated in conjunction with the Lawrence Council on Aging and is funded by Douglas County revenue sharing funds.
Since the first day of operation, June 20,
78 McCoy has placed 162 persons in full-
time housing.
From June 20 to Aug. 1, the program generated $2,343 in employee wages. From August 1 to Sept. 1, that amount rose to $3,311. By October 2, the increase in bages had increased to $7,584 a month.
"My goal is to get that figure up to $10,000 a month," he said. "But that will depend on your situation."
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HOMECOMING CONCERT
SUA and Lewis Grey Productions present: Natalie Cole with special guests Ashford & Simpson and Michael Henderson, Saturday October 28, 1978 8:00 p.m., Allen Fieldhouse. Tickets: $6.50 and $7.50 for students, $7.50 and $8.50 for non-students. Ticket Outlets: Lawrence-SUA Box Office, Kiefs. KC-Foster Records and Tigers (both locations), Central Ticket Outlet (Downtown K.C. Mo.), Capers Corners, Douglas State Bank (K.C. Ks.), L&D Leathercraft (450 Richmond, K.C. Ks.). Topeka-Mother Earth, Manhattan-The Record Store. For more information contact SUA in the Kansas Student Union. Phone (913) 864-3477.