DOOR COUNTY (NBC 26) — Last year, the MatchUp Door County program was introduced as a way to help retired residents find jobs and connect with new opportunities.
Now, one year later, some of those participants are sharing how the program has made a difference.
We caught up with neighbors in the program to see how it's going, watch below:
Susan Guthrie has been involved with MatchUp Door County for about a year.
"I can try new things with MatchUp. It doesn't have to be cooking, which was my profession," Susan Guthrie said.
Through the program, she landed a part-time job with Crave Cuisine, catering and leading cooking classes but that’s just one of several roles she’s taken on.
"I've done probably four different things with MatchUp, and MatchUp's very flexible in terms of my time. I can pick and choose what I wanna do, so it's kind of ideal," Guthrie said.
Do Good Door County launched the program to connect older adults with local businesses offering not only job opportunities, but also a renewed sense of purpose and community.
Linda Beaudoin, who joined in June and has a job part-time with Shoreline Boat tours says the program helped her stay productive and put her skills to use after retiring.
"That is a great idea, because once you get to retirement age either before or just after it's like, 'I'm bored, I gotta do something with myself. How do I go out and find some place'," Linda Beaudoin said.
Eden DeGenova, coordinator of MatchUp Door County, says the program continues to grow helping older adults find meaningful, flexible work while providing local businesses with much-needed support.
"A lot of businesses are pleased with how we coordinate business with them," Eden DeGenova said.
She says that as the program grows, We Are HOPE INC. will take the lead, bringing additional resources and strengthening connections through its role as the region’s nonprofit employment hub.
For more information or to become a participant in the MatchUp program, email matchupdc@gmail.com or visit their website.
