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Volume 8 Issue 166
Santa Monica Daily Press LIVING LEGEND SEE PAGE 5
We have you covered
THE WAY TO GO, MAE ISSUE
COMMUNITYPROFILES
MAE LABORDE
100 and still going strong BY MELODY HANATANI Daily Press Staff Writer
OCEAN PARK The plan for the day was simple, just treat it like any other. And so that is what Mae LaBorde set out to do when she got out of bed one recent morning, going about her regular daily regime, first brushing her teeth, next drinking a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice, and then making the bed. Except this particular morning was unlike any other, the door bell constantly buzzing, more flowers delivered, and the phone constantly ringing, another call of well wishes. As the coffee table began filling with flowers and the stack of cards sitting on the ottoman grew taller, it soon became apparent that it was indeed LaBorde’s 100th birthday. “I feel old,” the Santa Monican joked from her home last Wednesday. But apparently not too old to go on an Brandon Wise brandonw@smdp.com
SEE CP PAGE 10
GOOD TIMES: Surrounded by photos from her life, Mae LaBorde joins friends and family in celebration of her 100th birthday on Sunday afternoon.
Teach a man to fish: Old proverb holds up at career center Local religious leaders teach skills to those looking for work during weak economic times BY WILL WEISS Special to the Daily Press
MID-CITY As local residents continue to feel the crunch of the national economic recession, small community groups are making big differences in the lives of those who have fallen on hard times. One such ongoing effort, organized by Beth Shir Sholom, holds weekly meetings at its recently established career center, teaching attendees the skills and methods necessary to find a job in an unfavorable employment market. While no two job-hunters are completely
alike, one feature tied together all the attendees of Thursday’s workshop at the career center: not one was under age 25. With, among others, two finance and accounting specialists, an attorney-turnedartist, a handful of former therapists and social workers, and a man with a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology all in attendance, the mix was not one to be expected at a job-seeking tutorial, but the gamut of experience, education and training on hand was a testament to the nature of today’s financial troubles. “I’m finding that I’ve got lots of job offers, but they’re just for commission. For anything people are willing to do for free in
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this economy, and it’s exploitation,” said Archana Daniels, a former attorney and pharmacist in Britain and a full-time mother who has recently began searching for a job to help support her family. “My husband started up his own business and so there’s no extra income at home for me to retrain and find another job. In this economy you simply can’t. But it’s me, and everybody’s looking at me at home saying, ‘you should be able to get a job.’ And it’s so depressing.” Daniels explained that even if she had the time or money to retrain for a new position, she is unsure about her ability to compete with younger, recently-trained professionals.
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Her concerns were echoed during the meeting with many attendees interrupting group discussion with shouts of “I applied for that position but was turned down because I’m overqualified,” or “How can I be expected to work for free for several months for just the chance of getting hired?” To these concerns, it seems, there are but few answers, since many were not in a position to relocate and could not afford to work at entry-level positions for little or no pay. Many of those who turned out for Thursday’s meeting were in need of basic
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