She visits a local food pantry to make ends meet, and Jill Biggs of Havre de Grace says many are worse off than her.
WATCH: Shutdowns and cutbacks in Harford County
“I cook for the kids down the street because I got more than they do,” said Biggs as she loaded her car with bags of food.
The resources to help people in need have been stretched even more in Harford County since Rite Aid shut down its warehouse last month, throwing nearly four hundred people out of work.
Many of them have sought help from the Susquehanna WorkforceNetwork.
“We’ve had an increase in customers. Probably, I would say double at least,” said the center’s coordinator, Melanie Davis. “We hear terrible stories, especially the people from Rite Aid, because we go out before they close. It’s something we do called the ‘rapid response.’ We learned from them; a lot of them had been working part-time, so they’ve been on partial unemployment or having part-time jobs just to supplement. They’re already stressed out and taxed.”
While Rite Aid’s shutdown left hundreds jobless, it appears cutbacks at the Aberdeen Proving Ground have taken an even bigger toll.”
Job specialists say the feds have been trimming civilian employees at the post with a goal of cutting 10 percent at a time when there are more applicants than jobs to go around.
Some may be forced into early retirement, but Jill Biggs can tell you even that is not all it’s cracked up to be.
“71 years old. These aren’t the Golden Years you expected?” we asked her.
“They’re not even brass,” she replied.
