Janice Walker, 83, arrives at work at Birch Rock summer camp on a cloudy July morning. She heads down to the camp dining hall to start on her first task of the day: folding all the cloth napkins that will be used at lunch. Later she will tend to the flower beds, fold more napkins and help the kitchen get ready for dinner.

She’s been working at this camp overlooking McWain Pond in Waterford for nearly 40 years, and she doesn’t see herself retiring anytime soon.

“I like it here, and I don't want to just sit home and do nothing,” she says. “It’s just being around people.”

But beyond the social aspect, the job also serves as a critical source of income on top of her Social Security check. She says without both, she wouldn’t be able to have the autonomy she enjoys.

“I still drive, I still l

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