I think it often goes under the radar, but it becomes harder for individuals in this country to find proper employment as they age. The Food Truck format of WSCAH was, in part, catalyzed to nourish New York’s food insecure elderly population. Their primary location is located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. For members living in surrounding boroughs, this location challenges their access and opportunity to nourish themselves. As I checked members in this past week, even though I was aware of this reality, I was surprised by the stark correlation between food insecurity and the aging population. I was subtly observing the birth year of WSCAH members when I noticed that one of them shared a birthday with my father. My own father is sixty-five years old and happily retired. Yet, here I was, repeatedly checking his food insecure peers in. It reminded me of the unemployment struggle that I’ve witnessed by Aunt and Uncle of a similar age go through.
Back home, my uncle was a self employed carpenter for nearly twenty-five years, but then he got hurt. Unable to continue his life-long profession, he sought work as construction manager. After a few months of searching, he was hired for this position and for the first time in his life was able to enjoy a paid week off of work. Nevertheless, he was soon unemployed again. Except this time, for the past year, he has not been able to find adequate employment. Despite his constant pain from injury, he has retreated back to working as a self-employed carpenter to make ends meet. As he approaches retirement age, his life’s work has not permitted him with the security and ease to do so. When I see the people in line for WSCAH, I am reminded of this struggle. Many of these people are capable of employment, but likely denied the opportunity due to their age.
