It is her first job.
And Yolanda Mazón, 67, says working at El Pueblo Senior Nutrition Center for the past three years has kept her in good spirits.
"It's difficult to find a job when you are old," she says. "I'm not lazy to get up, get there and talk to people; it helps me to stay active and not feel sad."
Mazón was able to land her job through Project Ayuda, a free, nonprofit job-placement service that helps people 55 or older, with limited income, find work.
The Spanish word "ayuda" translates as help or assistance.
Project Ayuda has placed employees in Pima, Pinal, Cochise, Santa Cruz and Greenlee counties.
Finding a job is not always easy for seniors, especially if they have no special skills or job experience, said Guadalupe Lendo, project coordinator.
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She said seniors work part time and get paid $7.25 per hour. The workers receive some training after they are evaluated on their skills and experience and placed in a job.
The program, sponsored by the National Association for Hispanic Elderly, places seniors in nonprofit organizations. Among the jobs they are placed in are clerical work or work as aides for teachers or maintenance crews.
"This is for seniors with not a lot of skills. For example, some housewives who have never worked," said Lendo. "It is for people with minimum skills, or minimum employment skills."
Some people who have worked in other fields seek out the program's services to learn a new trade, she said.
Ernesto Barnett, who worked with Project Ayuda, said the program helps lift the older workers' sense of worth because they are doing an honest day's work.
"We are talking about people with a lot of experience and knowledge," he said. "But sometimes they come here with their self-esteem shot. The idea is for them to gain self-confidence."
Mazón has the financial support of her loved ones, but she likes to feel she is self-sufficient and independent.
"I've invited some of my friends," she said. "The program is something very good for seniors."
PROJECT AYUDA
For information, stop by or call:
3690 S. Park Ave., Suite 801
207-0053.
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