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Bonnie Ayres tugs at the red bracelet around her wrist with the words “Be Strong” inscribed on the band. The gift from her grandson serves as a reminder to the 66-year-old to maintain her health and keep working.
Her grandson, 14, wears a bracelet given to him by his grandmother from Children’s Miracle Network. He has muscular dystrophy.
“I told him, ‘Cody, I’ll wear this forever.’ If that boy can be strong, anyone can be.”
Ayres smiles as she pulls an old photograph of herself from her purse. At 110 pounds heavier and faced with congestive heart failure and diabetes, she was “a mess.”
She worked at Spiffy’s Cleaners in Rogers for nearly seven years before her health failed. When she left the hospital, she possessed a new perspective on life. With her husband still working and 10 children gone from the home, she was ready to re-enter the work force.
Many older Americans like Ayres want to continue working for financial and personal fulfillment well into the sunset of their lives. More than half of the work force in Pulaski, Washington and Faulkner counties is 45 and older, according to information from the 2000 U.S. Census.
A call to Ayres’ local unemployment office linked her with friend and mentor JoLynn Dunavant at Experience Works.
Training involved computer classes, which landed her a job as a receptionist at Experience Works. Ayres eventually returned to the dry cleaning business and is able to drive a truck, take orders and do some laundry — everything but press, which is too taxing, she said.
“I have great co-workers and no complaints. I’m not ready to retire and will keep working as long as I can. I’m lucky.”
She has lived in Rogers 32 years, moving here from Minnesota. Although she has experienced some discrimination throughout the years, it’s nothing she could prove.
“I felt like a temp agency didn’t want to hire me because they thought I was too old, but I wanted to continue working for financial reasons, and to be out doing something.
“Older people are more reliable. I only missed one day of work last year and haven’t been late. More young people are likely to call in sick,” she added.
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