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6900 McGraw Phone: 313-361-6377 Email Us:
Detroit, MI 48210 Fax: 313-361-6378 bcigeneral@bridgingcommunities.org
Wisdom and a strong sense of community
Small churches offer a place for seniors to make connections in the community.
Resources in the neighborhood
Outside of the neighborhood
“One of my clients makes quilts to give to her church”
--Mark Hagood, BCI
Elders in the community come from a time when it was much more common for neighbors to share resources. As a local community organizer has shared “If you did something wrong on Cecil and McGraw, you couldn’t make it past I-75 without your mom hearing about it.”
Seniors in Southwest Detroit bring their strong sense of community into the present, making it a better place to live for people of all ages.
Southwest Detroit is home to many organizations where seniors can receive assistance. Some, like Bridging Communities, LA SED Senior Center and Focus Hope serve older adults. Senior Centers at Patton Park run by Matrix Human Services and LA SED Senior Center offer exercise classes for older adults throughout the neighborhood.
Bridging Communities has developed three low-income senior housing facilities with 200 living units including the Pablo Davis Elder Living Center, Springwells Village Townhomes, and Heritage Place at Magnolia.
Other organizations make the neighborhood stronger and safer. These include Matrix Theatre Company, Southwest Solutions, Southwest Detroit Business Association, Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision and Urban Neighborhoods Initiative.
Many small churches and grocery stores in the neighborhood provide a safe space for seniors to meet.
A mural found on Dix and Central Highways demonstrates the value of seniors in the community.
“The quality of life for an elder is directly related to the quality of the community in which they reside”
--Carrie Harnish, BCI
Organizations outside the neighborhood such as DAAA (Detroit Area Agency on Aging), the Department of Human Services, and the Alzheimer’s Association provide advocacy, consulting, research, and funding for older adults.
The Greening of Detroit is an organization that is dedicated to make the city more friendly for pedestrians.
Mobilizing Elders is a community profile of individuals aged 65+ in Southwest Detroit, researched and created by Rebecca Fried, Anita Kasper, Stephanie Wagner, and Lotus Yu, MSW candidates at the University of Michigan’s School of Social Work.
The Detroit Greenways plan to improve the city, including some projects in Southwest Detroit.
