I hope that other surrounding counties and the City of Richmond are taking notice of the new program Henrico County is rolling out titled Encore, which was featured in the Free Press, March 2-4 edition. The program is trying to entice many of the county’s retired employees to come back and work at the same salary that they received upon retirement. I think this is a win-win for everyone. Henrico will fill some of their staffing shortages and retirees will get a supplemental income while working part-time hours.

In a time where there are shortages of staff and retirees stretching their paychecks to survive, this is a no-brainer. This program will also make the retirees feel appreciated, knowing that they have an avenue to return if they so desire. The cities and counties became great on the backs of the retirees who were dedicated and strived to make their locality great. I retired from the City of Richmond with over 30 years of experience, but many times I feel underappreciated due to not getting a cost of living raise in years. There is an old saying “out of sight out of mind.” Let’s change the narrative with programs like this.

ERNEST PARKER JR.

Richmond