Retired Folks Add Value--Even In A Pandemic.
By Erica and Karen
Ever since we retired, we have been advocating for the creation of an America’s Future Corps--a federal domestic service corps for retirees, matching their abilities with the needs of the country. Our objective was to bring experience and diversity to the workforce, to assist our children by using what we know to help them move faster toward their goals. (We have always liked the phrase: the young run faster, but the older know the shortcuts.) We never wanted to compete with our children for jobs—rather the opposite, we think using what retirees know might expand available jobs. At the same time retirees can stay relevant and connected. A win-win.
When unemployment was hovering around 1%, it was easy to see that the ever-expanding retiree population is a national asset that should be put to work in the interests of national economic and mental well-being. With unemployment now soaring, our children furloughed or out of work with their own futures hard to imagine, maybe it seems less obvious.
We think that’s wrong. We still think it is a good idea for patriots like us who want to make things better for all Americans to get involved. The exposure of the deep rifts, inequalities and inadequacies in our society highlights national needs that are greater than ever before. All hands are needed on deck.
The pandemic has changed things, of course, but we’re creative, smart, clever. Let’s put our thinking caps on and figure out how we can contribute to recovery and transformation. We had proposed that America’s Future Corps focus on schools. Education is still key. But now, let’s identify a broader set of targets. Infrastructure. Transportation. Tech. Racism. The environment. And let’s work with the young people.
What about a national service corps focused on putting recent high school and college graduates to work--especially groups hardest hit by COVID—-along the lines of the Work Projects Administration. FDR created the WPA in 1935 by executive order, and it was up and running pretty quickly. It made a huge difference during the eight years of its existence. The WPA employed over 8.5 million Americans, paying them the prevailing hourly rate. Artists painted murals, builders built over 4000 new schools and 130 new hospitals. We still use the sewers, bridges, airports, and roads constructed by the WPA--and we still picnic under the trees planted under its auspices.
Who would be involved? Everyone. Skilled adults can supervise, and younger people can learn. And our role? America’s Future Corps would be there to augment where needed. Our experience can help. Just as one example: when technology rocked our world, we lived through the planning to integrate it into the workplace. Coronavirus may advance similar changes in the workplace, very fast. We can help. And if physical workplaces change, we can plan with employers to find new ways to instill the values and culture of an enterprise into its workforce. We know that altering physical space should not rob people of one of the joys of working—making friends, knowing colleagues, and having significant business and personal relationships.
There’s so much work to do. We can’t be daunted. We have never been in this place before—experiencing an unprecedented pandemic, sharp challenges to racial inequality, unheard-of economic dislocation—all at once. We want to help. Let’s get to it.