How to help reduce elder poverty? Keep Chicago seniors employed

ACCESS Development Services trains women to drive electric auto rickshaws, providing them with marketable skills that help them earn a living independently. The all-women Pink City Rickshaw Company employs the women to provide tours throughout the city and has since trained over 200 women.

Ruthie's Café in South Dallas operates a second-chance employment program that provides jobs and support to individuals with criminal records and those experiencing homelessness. The program hires people often rejected by traditional employers and wraps employment with holistic services, including case management, housing assistance, and transportation support. Currently, 95% of Ruthie's staff are second-chance employees.

Local organizations such as Mujeres Rurales Argentinas and the provincial Ministry of Agriculture's Gender Cabinet are empowering rural women through artisanal tea production. By offering training programs structured around women's caregiving schedules, creating spaces for gender-inclusive collaboration, and advocating for policy changes, these groups have helped increase women's leadership roles in tea production, as more than half of artisan producers are now women.

The UWM Student Success & Talent Pipeline Initiative is helping to connect students with internships that provide meaningful professional experiences for those about to enter the workforce. One of the initiative’s biggest goals is diversifying the talent pipeline, adding more Black, Indigenous, and other people of color to the workforce throughout the state, hoping to reduce the number of graduates who move out of state for work.

Minnesota's Office of Cannabis Management entered into compact agreements with tribal nations in 2025, allowing tribes to operate cannabis dispensaries beyond reservation boundaries. Seven tribally owned off-reservation dispensaries are now open, with more planned. These dispensaries are serving as significant job sources as Waabigwan Mashkiki, White Earth Nation's cannabis company, has created 200 jobs alone in one of the state's poorest counties. Other states including Virginia and Wisconsin are now looking to Minnesota's framework as a model for their own tribal cannabis policies.

Cycling Without Age addresses social isolation among elderly people through a volunteer-run program using electric three-wheeled bicycles with two front seats, so elders can enjoy a ride without the physical toll. Founded in Copenhagen in 2012, the program has expanded to 3,600+ chapters across 41 countries with 50,000 volunteers.

A partnership between Essex Tech North Shore Agricultural & Technical High School, and Local 22 trade union members is teaching students union norms and trade skills early in their career, connecting them to apprenticeships and greater career opportunities. Other states, including Maryland and Louisiana, have similar programs and students report feeling a greater sense of job security and that they can command higher pay from employers due to the expertise gained from the program.

The Refugee and Immigration Support Services of Emmaus (RISSE) helps migrants who have attained legal work status find jobs after the state eased requirements for asylum seekers looking for work, particularly in the state government. RISSE offers English language classes, immigration assistance and a case management program. In the past year alone, the total number of RISSE participants doubled.

The GIRL-H program provides skill training and business assistance to youth from marginalized communities. Participants receive education and training in an area of their choosing and once they complete the training, they receive start-up capital to help them start their own businesses. The program has helped over 6,000 youth learn a new skill and start an entrepreneurial venture.

In Des Moines, Iowa, the Evelyn K. Davis Center provides wraparound support to a wide range of populations seeking stable employment. From internet access to financial counseling to job coaching, the center aims to "individualize ... game plans" and empower clients to become self-sufficient.