Catholic Charities receives federal workforce grant

BY BILL DOYLE |CFP CORRESPONDENT

WORCESTER – Donna Evans runs the Senior Community Service Employment Program for Catholic Charities Worcester County and she knows how important the program is to the participants.
That’s because she used to be one of them.
Ms. Evans, 63, of Worcester, worked as a branch manager and vice president for Bank of America and was also a caregiver, but had to stop when she learned that she had cancer. She’s currently in remission.
After receiving medical clearance to return to work a few years ago, she learned about SCSEP, which is funded by a federal grant from the Center for Workforce Inclusion Inc. Last month, Catholic Charities was notified that it will receive a grant for the 46th year, the latest being worth $638,961. The program is for people aged 55 and older.
Almost 90 percent of the grant, which originally came from the U.S. Department of Labor, will provide temporary employment to low-income older adults living in Worcester and Franklin counties. SCSEP is a cornerstone program of the Older Americans Act and the only federal job training program targeted exclusively to low-income, older jobseekers.
When Ms. Evans called Catholic Charities about SCSEP, she spoke to someone who had received a part-time job through the program before becoming assistant administrator in payroll for SCSEP. Ms. Evans has taken a similar path.
“For me, it was to get used to a schedule, build my self-confidence and I wanted to learn new skills,” she said. “All of the things this program has to offer, I was like, ‘I’m in. I really admire this.’ And I just wanted to have another opportunity to re-enter the workforce.”
For a couple of months, Ms. Evans worked at the front desk and organized activities for clients at Christopher House, a rehabilitation and skilled nursing center in Worcester. Then she worked part time for SCSEP.
After about two years of working at SCSEP through the workforce grant, she began overseeing SCSEP as program administrator last February.
Ms. Evans graduated from Wheelock College, which later became part of Boston University, and Bay Path University.
Now, she’s enrolled in the Clemente Course in the Humanities in Worcester through Bard College.
She is also a community leader. She works closely with the Worcester Community Connections Coalition, which supports Worcester families. She’s a member of the Worcester Public School Superintendent taskforce for parents, and the community advisory board for the Lovin’ Spoonfuls food program.
“So I believe in giving back to the community and that’s what keeps me going,” she said.
Catholic Charities’ Executive Director Timothy McMahon said each year the grants allow Catholic Charities to find work for close to 50 older adults for up to 20 hours a week with such non-profit organizations as Latin American Business Organization, Friendly House, Centro Inc., Southeast Asian Coalition of Central Massachusetts, Christopher House, Quinsigamond Village Community Center, Salvation Army and Spanish American Center.
Mr. McMahon said older people are often overlooked in general.
“But when it’s an older person who really lacks job skills,” Mr. McMahon said, “there’s not a lot of compassion. So this program provides the funding that sort of overrides that lack of compassion.”
Rosa Vargas, 60, of Worcester also landed a part-time job through the workforce grant. Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis in her legs and fibromyalgia forced Ms. Vargas to go on disability in 2015, but in October of 2021 she landed a position with SCSEP as an administrative assistant to the director of emergency services. She has since been promoted to the program’s supervisor.
“I was very depressed because I’m a go-getter, I’m a worker,” Ms. Vargas said. “I like to be busy. This job changed my whole life. I felt I would never be able to work again.”
Ms. Vargas said earning an income, learning new skills, being around people, feeling useful and helping others brightened her outlook.
“It gives me a lot of joy and fulfillment,” she said. “There are people here on disability as well. So I can help them overcome some of that.”
Ms. Vargas said helping others has helped her cope with her ailments.
“I strongly believe this,” she said. “I think going back to work helped me to get out of that mood and that rut. From sitting at home watching TV and not knowing what to do and in pain and crying, it’s a big change to have somewhere to go and help others. Everything feels better.”
It’s a feeling shared by many participants in the work program.
“I don’t get calls saying that so and so hasn’t shown up. Folks are working their hours,” Ms. Evans said. “They’re very grateful. I get a lot of thank yous.”
“It’s one of those programs,” Mr. McMahon said, “that really can help people and change their lives at a late stage in life when they really need it.”
Some job seekers don’t receive Social Security benefits. Others used to own businesses but have fallen on hard times. Some need to acquire skills to find full-time employment. This program helps them all.
The program tracks the participants for a year after they leave the program and most do well.
“They learn new skills,” Ms. Evans said. “They build their self-esteem because they socialize, they get to learn new things and interact with other senior aides in the program. A lot of them get hired [in other jobs] and that changes their economic situation as well.”
Individuals can work in the program for up to four years. Some change jobs in the program during that time. Some end up being hired full-time by the non-profits for which they have worked.
Mr. McMahon pointed out that often toward the end of the federal fiscal year Workforce Inclusion awards extra funds to Catholic Charities that weren’t used by other organizations.
“So we’re able to increase the hours of folks and bring in new people,” Mr. McMahon said.
Mr. McMahon has seen how employment has boosted the self-esteem of the individuals.
“We have people working at the reception area,” he said, “and you can see their confidence growing and the level of the things they’re asked to do has been heightened and they’re taking on different responsibilities. We actually see it firsthand.”
It’s the only federal grant that Catholic Charities receives.
Participants receive valuable training.
“They’re learning computer skills, they’re learning technology, how to use a printer, a copy machine,” Mr. McMahon said. “So it’s really valuable and gives them an opportunity to really get back on their feet.”