Pierce lives in a mobile home park in Sunnyvale and manages her own finances. "But my Social Security barely covers my rent. So I needed another source of income," she points out.

Like Pierce, there are many senior citizens across the country for whom retirement is an abstract career concept. The "R" word is hardly the much-awaited life of leisure, especially if one's nest egg is Social Security. On average, senior citizens receive around $700 a month from Social Security—an amount hardly sufficient to run even a single-person household. And in the Bay Area, with the cost of living so high, Uncle Sam's monthly checks can seem a paltry goodwill gesture.

So as the economy struggles to provide jobs for an already existing working class, a constant and steady "retired" workforce continues to grow that needs jobs for the extra income. More and more people in their 60s, 70s and well into their 80s continue to work for that supplemental cash, a trend that is not just a reflection of the nation's economy but also a new trend in the lifestyle of seniors.

Today, there are programs specifically designed to find jobs for this older workforce, and the Proven People Program in Sunnyvale is just one among them. The program caters to people over 55, with educations that range from high school diplomas to doctoral degrees.

Proven People started in 1990 and is part of NOVA, a federal employment and training agency. It is a free service program that operates out of the Sunnyvale Senior Center. There is no fee involved either for people who want jobs or those who wish to employ them. The program is funded by the city of Sunnyvale and caters to Sunnyvale and six neighboring cities: Santa Clara, Mountain View, Cupertino, Palo Alto, Los Altos and Milpitas.

"The idea behind the program is to provide job opportunities to seniors who are retired. The jobs provide them with a supplemental income, and for some it's a way of doing things they always wanted to but never had a chance to pursue before," explains Kathy Puryear, supervisor of the program.

Most of the job placements through Proven People are part time and short term. Seniors recommended by the program provide such services as clerical, household chores, in-house health care, carpentry, electrical and plumbing, computer assistance and teaching English to immigrants.

So when Mary Pierce was laid off from her job at the Sheraton, she headed to the Proven People Program in search of finding something new. And one of the jobs she had during that time was to provide transportation services for people in need. "One job I had during that time was to take a couple to the doctor's office. The husband had some terminal illness, and their son hired me through the program to drive them back and forth to the hospital. I had to wait till they were done, and the job required some patience. And they would pay me $15 an hour plus gas expenses. I felt good and worthwhile doing the job," she says.

Cupertino resident Eileen Herwerk heard about the program a couple of years ago at the city's senior center. Since then, the 70-something Herwerk has had a person from the agency come and do some chores for her. "A few years ago my husband passed away, and I find myself not able to do things that he would do around the house. So I have this person come in and do small things like plumbing or repairing the sprinkler system or even something as small as replacing a broken wheel on my furniture," she says.

One of the greatest advantages of the program, Herwerk points out, is the fact that she can hire people from the agency with confidence and without having to worry about her safety. "My mind is more at ease knowing that the person I hire comes recommended by the agency. It is much better than picking up a paper and calling some professional you don't know," she adds.

Kathy Puryear at the program points out that every month close to 40 new seniors come to the agency looking for jobs. "For every new person who comes to the center, our staff sits down with them, finds out their skills, their career backgrounds and gets to know the person before we recommend them to anybody. But we don't do any background checks," she says.

Mel Hathaway, who runs a small flooring business in Sunnyvale, hires his secretaries only from the agency. "Over the past several years, I've hired college kids and young moms to do secretarial work at my office. But it has never worked out. Invariably their families or boyfriends come first. But when you hire people from the Proven People Program, you hire very mature people who are dedicated to their work," he says. Hathaway adds that he always pays market rates to his staff.

But not all jobs pay top money. Bob Woodin, a roofer, construction worker and all-round handyman, says he demands only 50 percent of what professionals in his field get paid. Fifty-seven-year-old Woodin is a Vietnam veteran who networks with the Proven People Program for his assignments. "Initially, I wanted only part-time work. But now I work almost 40 hours a week and I enjoy it. I am my own boss and I especially love working with older people. I try to joke with them and liven up their lives. A lot of my customers are now my friends. They call me directly if they have some job."

Woodin recently finished a tiling project for William Smith, who lives on the border of Sunnyvale and Cupertino at Quail Avenue. "We are planning to sell our house and move to Iowa. So we wanted to hire somebody to do small renovation jobs before we put the house on the market. Proven People gave me a list of potential contactors, and Bob was at the top of the list," says Smith. "He is more dependable than most, and if we have any complaints, he's great at following up. We'll definitely go back to him if we have any more work."

For many, assignments through the program are not just jobs, but rather, an essential way of life. Seventy-six-year-old Adam Snyder is an instrumentations person who worked with NASA and helped build the spacecraft that put men on the moon. One of his prized possessions is a letter of commendation he received from then-President Jimmy Carter for his role in the project. These days Snyder works as a plumber, a carpenter or in any other role that requires his mechanical skills. "With the high cost of living in the Bay Area, I could not just depend on my Social Security to pay for my rent, car insurance and gas," he says.

But more than the financial aspect, Snyder and many like him enjoy the social angle of the job. Over the past several years, Snyder has had his share of ailments. He's had an eye surgery, a bypass surgery and even prostate cancer. Now he needs to take shots every three months to keep his cancer in remission. "If I want to, I can just give up and sit down and die. But I don't want to let it take over my life. So I try to be active. I enjoy working with my hands and meeting new people. It gives me a purpose," he says.

"Recently, the number of seniors applying for jobs has increased," points out Puryear. "But the number of jobs available for this market has gone down—partly because younger people who have been laid off are willing to take on these jobs," she adds. In the last fiscal year (July 2002­June 2003), 325 people signed up for the program. But this year, with four more months to go, 289 people have already signed up.

So as the dynamics of this older workforce changes, so have traditional opinions and outlooks. "I don't understand how people can say one day that they are going to stop working. It doesn't make sense. To me it's more important to exercise and lead a healthy life than sit on a couch and watch TV. I'll probably be working and fixing up something till the day I die," says Woodin.

"We do get our aches and pains. But we need to keep moving," says Mary Pierce, who at 81 is impressive with her enthusiasm. "My driver's license is valid for another four years. So I'd be happy to help others by driving [people] to places and helping them with their shopping."

Proven People Program is located at 550 E. Remington Dr., Sunnyvale, 408.730.7368.