By Brenda Showalter, The Republic
bshowalter@therepublic.com
Frances Daugherty has worked most of her life, and at 77, is still working to supplement her monthly Social Security income. Her latest part-time job pays minimum wage: $5.15 an hour. A Columbus resident since 1958, Daugherty is being paid by a national nonprofit employment program, National Able Network. "You can't live on Social Security," she said, adding that she also couldn't live on a minimum-wage job alone. "Even at $7 an hour, it wouldn't be enough by the time you pay everything."
Daugherty is skeptical when she listens to politicians talk about increasing minimum wage. She has heard it before.
"They've been talking about it for years," she said as she sat at Eastside Community Center, where she has been receiving computer training.
Daugherty gets a little frustrated, mentioning how politicians seem to give themselves raises, but forget those at the bottom of the country's pay scale.
"You have to work two or three jobs just to survive," Daugherty said.
Even after the typical retirement age, Daugherty keeps working to stay busy and to help with bills.
On a recent afternoon at Eastside, Daugherty stopped to talk to another woman frustrated by politicians and their promises.
"It's appalling," Rosetta Sawyer said about the $5.15 rate.
"How realistic is that? Even $7 isn't sufficient. It needs to be at least $9."
Learning curve
Daugherty is willing to learn new skills and is glad to be given the opportunity to work, even for minimum wage.
She tried retiring about 10 years ago, but quickly got bored and found she needed a little extra money to pay for such things as groceries and gasoline.
Through Able, Daugherty is being paid to receive computer training, and after about two months, Able will place her in an office position.
Daugherty, who walks with a cane because of knee problems, was limited on the types of jobs she could seek.
"I can't stand on my legs very long," she said. "I need to sit down most of the time."
In the past, she worked in office jobs in county government and in the cafeteria at a local factory.
Jobs change
She went to Indiana Business College for about one year many years ago, but office work has changed drastically since that time.
"They didn't have computers back then," she said.
For about 10 years she worked in local elementary schools as a foster grandparent, assisting children with reading and other class work.
Daugherty, who is single, lives in a senior housing complex with income-based rent, but has to budget carefully to get all her bills paid each month.
Recent changes to Medicare that provided assistance with prescriptions helped, but the change meant adding a monthly premium to her budget.
Daugherty likes learning about computers and being given an opportunity to make some extra money.
She just hopes lawmakers consider people like her and give them what she believes is a long-overdue raise.