Presidential Candidate Barack Obama Walks in the Shoes of Oakland Homecare Worker Pauline Beck
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Before SEIU members united behind Barack Obama, he walked a day in our shoes. Last August Sen. Obama got a firsthand look at the everyday life of SEIU member and homecare worker Pauline Beck.
On August 8th in Oakland, Calif., Obama arrived at Beck’s home for an early morning breakfast where he spent time with Beck’s daughter—an Oakland school worker—grandnephew, and two foster children. Learn more about Pauline »  Obama and Beck then traveled to the home of Beck’s 86-year-old client John Thornton, where they got him out of bed, prepared his breakfast, and helped him get ready to start his day. Mr. Thornton, for whom Beck has cared for four years, is completely dependent on Beck and another homecare worker for 24-hour care. With a broken hip, a prosthetic leg and nerve damage to his fingers, he can’t get in or out of bed, nor can he dress, bathe or care for himself.  Beck routinely works more than her allotted hours for the state program that enables Mr. Thornton to live at home simply because there’s no one else to care for him other than the other homecare worker. Sen. Obama saw firsthand how homecare workers are often their clients’ only caretakers, their only family members. It’s an experience he’ll take to the White House as a pro-worker president—with SEIU members behind him. SEIU Members Endorse Barack Obama Read the endorsement press release » Sign up for updates from SEIU on Elections & Politics » SEIU Members: get involved! » |
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