On Aug. 19, historic Belle Isle park was the site of the much anticipated 5th Annual Senior Summit, with hundreds of Detroit seniors participating in the event hosted by Detroit City County President Brenda Jones. Jones has spearheaded the Senior Summit for the past five years since, taking over after city officials announced they could no longer ameliorate the event. “It’s my way of giving back to the seniors of Detroit since the city stopped having them five years ago. I love my senior community and it was a fun day for them,” says Jones.
Volunteers of all ages helped “the beat go on” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Seniors received helpful information on how to secure healthcare services from vendors like AARP and the Area Agency on Aging. However, the Senior Summit was not the average run of the mill health fair, as activities abounded, ranging from bingo to hustle dance lines to prize giveaways, music and refreshments. “I didn’t just want to just give the seniors information when I started it. I wanted them to have a good time as well.”
Jones has also created a veterans task force as a resource for former members of the military seeking employment. “We are rebuilding this city … and we have so many youth that are coming back home who are looking for things to do, so the veterans task force offers jobs for them.”
But holding the annual Senior Summit is just one of several initiatives City Council Woman Jones hosts to give back to the city of Detroit, as the issues facing its residents require more than a once-a-year event.
“Job opportunities, education, safety and working with neighborhoods to fill vacant houses [has] been important to me for the last nine years,” the committed councilwoman explained of her objectives for development in the city over the short- and long-term. “I grew up in the Livernois and 7 mile area and there was a [dynami] Avenue of Fashion. It was full of businesses and stores … My vision is to have those types of things back in the neighborhoods where you can go and buy what you like and to come downtown and have people walking the streets of Detroit. Those are things I looking forward to and those are my visions.”
City Council President Brenda Jones Host 5th Annual Senior Summit
