A federally-funded program that benefited tens of thousands of seniors across the U.S. — including hundreds in South Florida — is abruptly ending.
The Urban League is one of 19 organizations nationally that received money from the U.S. Department of Labor through its Senior Community Service Employment Program, which helped place seniors in part-time jobs in local communities and covered the wages for those workers.
WATCH BELOW: Program serving South Florida seniors suddenly shutting down
The Urban League of Palm Beach County received roughly $1.8 million per year through this program and assisted more than 200 seniors in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, according to ULPBC CEO Patrick Franklin.
"Now, all that's gone," Franklin told WPTV. "The funds are not being released. They were supposed to have been released on June 30. We're on Aug.1 right now. We can't afford to run a program — a federally-funded program — without any funds."
Franklin said the National Urban League provided the funding to keep the program going for two months after federal money was cut off. The last day of the program will be Aug. 31.
"One of our oldest clients that we had in the program was 92 years old, and the only thing he wanted to do was just to have companionship," Franklin said. "Because what do they do? Most of our seniors sit in front of the TV all day."
ULPBC started its senior jobs program eight years ago. The organization opened offices in Miami-Dade and Broward counties dedicated to the program. The Broward County office's last day was Thursday.
"I was bombarded with calls from the participants. They were all disappointed. They were asking me a lot of questions," said Maralyn Lewis, who worked there as a receptionist. "It's heartbreaking because (the phone) is ringing. I know the participants are calling."
Lewis, a retired secretary who worked for the New York City Housing Authority, got her reception job through the Urban League’s senior jobs program.
"I feel I still have much more to offer," Lewis said. "Being older, and there's so much competition and a lot of people seeking employment."
Lewis had only been in her position for two months, but said she found it personally fulfilling to help other participants in the senior jobs program, along with the host organizations that employed those workers.
She recalled being inspired by one participant who was blind, and another who found a job at a local hospice through the program.
"I said, 'What do you do there as a participant?' and she said, 'Well, I sit with people, you know, in the hospice, and I speak to them. They're transitioning. So I sit with them, and I speak to them, and I sing to them, and I pray to them.'"
With her job now gone, Lewis said she plans to read and learn from YouTube tutorials how to knit.
While ULPBC's program served only Broward and Miami-Dade counties, AARP funded a similar program serving Palm Beach County. WPTV reached out to AARP but has not heard back.
WPTV has contacted the U.S. Department of Labor to ask about the funding for the program and will update this story when the agency responds.
