Too Old to be Homeless
Donation protected
Hi, my name is Jerry.
I’m sure you’ve all heard numerous tales of woe coming out of these troubled Covid times, but if you have time or empathy, here’s mine.
I live with my wife Dahli who will be 65 March 2021 & our daughter Lao who is 38. We all live together & all work our jobs just so that we can survive. We have been doing a good job of it for many years. I have worked past the time I would have liked to retire but I have been with my present company since May 2001 & have just been hanging in there to get my twenty years in & earn my pension.
Last week I received a Federal & California WARN notice. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice must be sent out in cases of qualified plant closings and mass layoffs. I was notified that December 10, 2020 would be my last day. So there goes all my future plans. No twenty year retirement to fall back on. I know this was not personal. Everyone is being let go and I’m sure that there are others in my same circumstances.
Now I am on the hunt for replacement employment. But it's not easy to inspire interest for would-be employers in a 71 year old. Although there is no inherent age-ism, my age is obviously a factor. I have not given up looking, but my prospects seem quite dim.
The grim reality is: by the end of February my family and I will be facing the very real threat of homelessness. My wife’s and my daughter’s jobs are just not enough to keep us afloat.
I have never had to beg for anything ever before in my life. I have always found ways out of the direst of days. But now, with my age, the loss of my pension, the large percentage of joblessness, I see no clear path forward other than to reach out and ask for the help and kindness of others.
Our plans as of right now are to leave California and return to Pennsylvania, where I was born. My sister lives there and has graciously offered to let us stay with her while we regroup. However, the costs of pulling up stakes and moving across the country are proving to be more than we can cover. We are in a year lease that ends February 28, 2021. We will have to cover our rent and expenses until them without my wages. We will have to have the few belongings we are keeping transported to Pennsylvania and placed in storage until we can find lodging.
If anyone reading this can empathize or relate to our predicament, perhaps you can help.
Thank you for listening to my pitiful tale. Never giving up hope. Stay safe.
I’m sure you’ve all heard numerous tales of woe coming out of these troubled Covid times, but if you have time or empathy, here’s mine.
I live with my wife Dahli who will be 65 March 2021 & our daughter Lao who is 38. We all live together & all work our jobs just so that we can survive. We have been doing a good job of it for many years. I have worked past the time I would have liked to retire but I have been with my present company since May 2001 & have just been hanging in there to get my twenty years in & earn my pension.
Last week I received a Federal & California WARN notice. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice must be sent out in cases of qualified plant closings and mass layoffs. I was notified that December 10, 2020 would be my last day. So there goes all my future plans. No twenty year retirement to fall back on. I know this was not personal. Everyone is being let go and I’m sure that there are others in my same circumstances.
Now I am on the hunt for replacement employment. But it's not easy to inspire interest for would-be employers in a 71 year old. Although there is no inherent age-ism, my age is obviously a factor. I have not given up looking, but my prospects seem quite dim.
The grim reality is: by the end of February my family and I will be facing the very real threat of homelessness. My wife’s and my daughter’s jobs are just not enough to keep us afloat.
I have never had to beg for anything ever before in my life. I have always found ways out of the direst of days. But now, with my age, the loss of my pension, the large percentage of joblessness, I see no clear path forward other than to reach out and ask for the help and kindness of others.
Our plans as of right now are to leave California and return to Pennsylvania, where I was born. My sister lives there and has graciously offered to let us stay with her while we regroup. However, the costs of pulling up stakes and moving across the country are proving to be more than we can cover. We are in a year lease that ends February 28, 2021. We will have to cover our rent and expenses until them without my wages. We will have to have the few belongings we are keeping transported to Pennsylvania and placed in storage until we can find lodging.
If anyone reading this can empathize or relate to our predicament, perhaps you can help.
Thank you for listening to my pitiful tale. Never giving up hope. Stay safe.
Organizer
Jerry Riggle
Organizer
Sacramento, CA