Written by Tanya Terry, with photos by Tanya Terry
Hasselbring Senior Center recently celebrated the Grand Re-Opening at their new location, 1678 W. Pierson Rd in Flint (inside the James E. Kennedy Christian Life Center).
The ceremony and ribbon-cutting took place Monday, March 31, starting at 10 a.m.
Beverly Lewis, Hasselbring Senior Center executive director, told the Courier the ribbon-cutting ceremony exceeded her expectations.
“I expected a nice turnout, but when I started talking, I looked out and I was like ‘God, there’s people are as far as I can see,”’ shared Lewis. “That was amazing. I expected a lot of people to show up, but I wasn’t expecting that many right at the 10 o’clock hour…especially with us seniors. If we don’t have to get up for something, we don’t.”
Soon after the ribbon was cut at the new location, seniors were invited to enjoy free services, which were available until 2 p.m. The services included free chair massages, haircuts, mini manicures and eyebrow arches and fill-ins, as well as other services.
A large lunch buffet, sponsored by Heritage Meadows Neighborhood Association, was offered to the community throughout the event.
Vendors offered everything from mock cocktails to information on health and beauty products.
During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Lewis’ daughter, Lakia Cannon, shared that she had seen her mother at both very high states and very low ones. Lewis said that battling to keep the center open in court was one of the lowest point in her life, but having the Grand Re-Opening was definitely one of the highest.
“To see the seniors’ excitement, it just excites me even more,” said Lewis. “So, I’m overwhelmed. I’m overwhelmed with joy!”
In 2024, the City of Flint delivered notice to recover possession of the Hasselbring Senior Center, which led to eviction proceedings in Genesee District Court.
Jessica Hammon ruled on February 20, 2025, in favor of the City of Flint. She said the City was able to evict the nonprofit that runs Hasselbring Senior Center on March 3, 2025. Barely over a month later, the center was able to rejoice in the fact they are still around to provide services and activities to area seniors – with support from the county.
Tarnesa Martin, RN, known in the Hurley Medical Center community as Nurse T, serves as a community liaison for health concerns. She typically leads the program “Senior Self Care with Nurse T” every Friday at 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at Hasselbring. The program is one of about 20 weekly programs currently being offered through Hasselbring, which add to many other services, special events and activities provided there.
In Martin’s class, she talks to participants about heart disease, how to navigate through the hospital systems, power of attorney, RSV, wealth, sex, UTIs and anything else impacting the community and the quality of life for its seniors. Martin said the services she and her team will offer at Hasselbring will remain the same and continue to be aimed towards building health literacy so seniors can make wise, informed decisions.
Martin said she attended the ribbon cutting to show support.
“I’m just excited to see that the seniors will be able to resume their health awareness and education,” Martin added.
Genesee County collects and distributes a 0.68-mill senior services property tax to help 16 centers within the county operate, with two of the seniors being within the city of Flint.
Although the county did approve financial support for Hasselbring at its new location, as of publication date, the Genesee County Department of Senior Services had extended no financial support to help the City continue to operate the Mays Senior and Community Service Center. That center is located on West Home Avenue, and it’s operating in Hasselbring’s previous location.
Flint area residents of all ages took part in the March 31 ribbon cutting at the new location and stated many of the same reasons for doing so.
47-year-old Wayne Harrington, owner of Wayne the Barber Enterprise, who provided the free haircuts for the ribbon cutting, talked with the Courier about the importance of the event and the center.
“I feel it’s important because our seniors, they paved the way, they made the way for us to do what we do now,” Harrington said. “…The seniors are very important. They’re the pillars.”
Harrington said the seniors were “having fun and looking good doing it.”
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76-year-old Claire McClinton, who was born in Flint and spent most of her life in Flint, said the ribbon cutting represented a “victory for Flint.”
“They stood up and fought for themselves,” she added. “…They came together. They fought. They went to city council. They went to court. They went to county commissioners, and they had their own town halls. They just stuck with it, and they didn’t back down. This ribbon cutting represents a victory for the work they did, and it’s a part of the Flint character. Flint is a fight-back city. We are a fight-back community.”
McClinton said as a senior herself she has been a “recipient” of the fights that have went on in Flint, such as in the Sit-Down Strike that inspired the Labor Movement everywhere and its fight that led to the city having the first Black mayor for a city its size. She said this referring to Floyd J. McCree, whose appointment in 1966 made him one of the first African American mayors of a major metropolitan city in the United States since Reconstruction.
“I went around to the tables; they had some nice exhibits and nice things to take part in,” McClinton said. “I mostly attended to celebrate with Hasselbring on their victory. It feels good. It’s a reminder of what the people can do when they come together.”
The new Hasselbring Senior Center is located just west of Fleming Road. It shares a parking lot with Mt. Carmel Baptist Church.
