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Help my mom find a job



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amother
OP


 

Post Wed, Jul 14 2021, 2:22 pm
My mom is nearing 60 and raised 11 children. For the bulk of the time she did not work at all. Around 15 years she went to work very part time. She taught gym in the elementary school from say 1-3 Monday thru Thursday. She did not not particularly enjoy it but she really has no marketable skills and she had the time and needed the money.

A local jewish food bank got a grant five years ago to serve a fresh lunch daily. My mom had that job and loved it. She made the menus, shopped for the foods and prepared it and served it. It was like 60 meals daily. The grant expired and now my mom is unemployed.

She is not a particularly motivated person. She sleeps till 11 these days and basically does nothing all day and it makes me sad. She is not at the age or the skill set to take an office job starting at the bottom. In general she is more independent minded and doesn't want to be told what to do and would not become a preschool assistant. She taught elementary school single and newlywed but she just can't jump back into that after close to 40 years.

She is looking for a job but doesn't even know where to begin. She really has no skills. She needs to be in social setting. A perfect job for her would be running a simple Yeshiva elementary library - only they are currently staffed by other middle aged ladies now and there is no openings.

I would love to help her find something. Any ideas of what someone in her position can do...
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amother
Burntblack


 

Post Wed, Jul 14 2021, 2:26 pm
Where does she live?
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amother
OP


 

Post Wed, Jul 14 2021, 2:29 pm
amother [ Burntblack ] wrote:
Where does she live?


A very established oot community in the US, not NJ/NY
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amother
Burntblack


 

Post Wed, Jul 14 2021, 2:32 pm
Does she specifically need a job or can she volunteer? Are there Chessed organizations you can reach out to? Maybe they need some sort of coordinator if she isn’t looking to volunteer.
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amother
OP


 

Post Wed, Jul 14 2021, 2:39 pm
amother [ Burntblack ] wrote:
Does she specifically need a job or can she volunteer? Are there Chessed organizations you can reach out to? Maybe they need some sort of coordinator if she isn’t looking to volunteer.


She needs to make some money. Most local chessed organizations are staffed by a few middle managers working pretty full time and then they oversee lots of volunteers. She can definitely reach out though and see if anything is available part time for pay. Thanks!
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amf




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 14 2021, 3:06 pm
Maybe an office manager position, if she is familiar with computers. If she can organize people and lead them, she might get the job even with no similar experience just based on her life experience
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amother
Chocolate


 

Post Wed, Jul 14 2021, 3:48 pm
I’m in the same situation but I’m the Mom who raised a houseful of kids and is starting out again with very little skills.
I tried an office job but not for me.
I was thinking about some organization like Hamaspik.
Would she do well working with the special needs population and does something like that exists where she lives?
Could she start a business in her house?
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mha3484




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 14 2021, 3:53 pm
If she loved her job working for the food bank how about working for a caterer? Also do any of your local schools do hot lunch? Maybe they need help? My large OOT city has chesed kitchens that always need people. If thats another option.
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amother
Emerald


 

Post Wed, Jul 14 2021, 3:53 pm
Would she babysit? Where I am there is always a need for responsible frum babysitters.
School or nursing home cook or mashgiach somewhere?
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amother
Viola


 

Post Wed, Jul 14 2021, 3:54 pm
Could she be the cook for a residential home or dorm? At a yeshiva or seminary?
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amother
Coral


 

Post Wed, Jul 14 2021, 4:01 pm
Babysit, drive carpools, floating substitute for a school, cook (can be in a yeshiva or something or if she is really a good cook she can try to build a business)
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imasinger




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 14 2021, 4:14 pm
She might want to reach out to her local JVS. They can help her with everything from skill and interest assessment to job placement and coaching.
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amother
Darkblue


 

Post Wed, Jul 14 2021, 4:23 pm
What about a school secretary or babysitter? Did you try reaching out to the schools to see if they need library help as sometimes the librarians have assistants? Would she be interested in running errands for people?
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chayamiriam




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 14 2021, 4:53 pm
There are tons of womans Residences that are looking for cooks, and direct care workers.she sounds like a lovely lady who would make a difference in the lives of special people .
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naomi2




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 14 2021, 4:57 pm
amother [ Viola ] wrote:
Could she be the cook for a residential home or dorm? At a yeshiva or seminary?

I was going to recommend this. In NY there are ads all the time for Jewish residential home cooks. I'm sure there are similar, maybe not Jewish, residential home cook jobs available. Not sure if there are shailos as far as cooking non kosher though
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amother
Cornsilk


 

Post Wed, Jul 14 2021, 5:01 pm
She made the menus, shopped for the foods and prepared it and served it. It was like 60 meals daily.

And then you say she has no skills! I have advanced education and experience in my field, but there's no way I could do this job. This is her area of skill and expertise and experience. She needs to look for a job that uses these skills, especially because I think you said she really enjoyed it!
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crbc




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 14 2021, 5:05 pm
What about some type of business cooking homemade food?
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amother
Aqua


 

Post Wed, Jul 14 2021, 5:05 pm
I hope she finds something she finds satisfying. I'm in my mid 50s and find that subbing in the preschool as an assistant is actually quite enjoyable and not minimum wage. Though not a lot.
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chocolate moose




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 14 2021, 6:46 pm
libraries are staffed by people with degrees, most of them advanced, and secretarial jobs are staffed by young people who are very computer literate.

doesn't sound like your mom would like those odds.

what about retail work like trader joe or target? petco or gap or other such stores? what about front desk at a gym or other fitness studio and she'd get a salary and free classes or membership
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amother
Dustypink


 

Post Wed, Jul 14 2021, 8:11 pm
I think there are some really good ideas here! I've recently seen in my community women with older/grown kids advertising as a sort of housekeeper/assistant for families that don't really need someone full time. Like menu planning/meal prep/grocery shopping, carpools, helping with organizing in the home, helping organize schedule and regular appointments, etc. Whoever hires her chooses what they need and it amounts to X amount of hours a week and she can choose how much she works and when depending on how many families are interested. It basically puts her homemaking skills to perfect use.
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