Written by Tanya Terry, with photos by Tanya Terry
The name of Hasselbring Senior Center, located on West Home Avenue, was changed to the Mays Senior and Community Service Center at a dedication event on Tuesday, March 18.
The City has taken back the property from a nonprofit that provided services in the building for nine years. The former nonprofit operator, also named Hasselbring Senior Center, has moved to the James E. Kennedy Christian Life Center on W. Pierson Road.
At the dedication, Mayor Sheldon Neeley pointed out there are 32 units of government inside of Genesee County, with Flint being the largest with the most seniors.”
“But during our occupation of the emergency managers, when they deconstructed communities like Flint, they took away some of our resources,” he added. “In the past, the City of Flint operated no less than six centers throughout the city of Flint, and those centers were Brennan, Berston, Pierce, Haskell, Hasselbring and the McKinley Center. Over the last decade, Flint has been grossly, grossly underserved. Now that Flint has made a turn, a positive recovery, we’re here, and we’re better and we’re stronger.”
Marice Hall, who is 43, was a former employee of the old Hasselbring Center when services were provided by the Hasselbring Senior Center nonprofit. He lives around the corner and used to open the center for the seniors.
“The way the center is now, I appreciate Eric Mays for his contribution to the center,” Hall said. “I like the way the center is made. It’s brand new. I think we can move forward as a community to make sure that the seniors have their supplies. They can play dominoes; they can watch movies; they can play pool. So, it’s very unique to have a center like this for the community.”
Hall told the Courier he is hoping to be employed by the Mays Senior and Community Service Center.
“I think the City is going to manage it real well,” he stated. “I think they’re doing an awesome job. The two directors here, I had a chance to talk to them. They’re very kind, and they’re here for the seniors.”
The City has applied for funding from a countywide senior services millage for both the Mays senior center and the McKinley center, which previously offered services for seniors, but has not in several years. The mayor has said committed to the center regardless of whether the funding request is granted and added Flint seniors deserve the additional funding, in addition to funding provided by the city’s millage fund.
The senior center was originally named for Walter T. Hasselbring. Hasselbring was a city parks board member, florist and a local businessman.
Michelle Scott, the niece of the late Eric Mays, said it was “very overwhelming” to have the building named the Mays Senior and Community Service Center.
“It’s an honor, and very respectful to our family,” Scott said. “It meant a lot that they wanted to change the name to Eric Mays, or have his name on a center in the ward he served. But, for us, it’s special for many reasons. It goes all the way back to my grandfather, Pastor Louis Mays. To see that name on the building, he would have loved it. I know Eric would have loved it…”
Scott shared that since her uncle was very young he always said he wanted to “be famous.”
“He always said he was going to be on the news.” She added. “We didn’t know it was going to come by this, but neither did he, other than the fact he was passionate about serving other people and doing for other people.”
Scott said Neeley and Mays “both had different passions and jobs to do.” She said she never felt any negativity about the decision to rename the center.
Neeley also pointed out that the late Pastor Lous Mays was his pastor and he still attends the church Pastor Mays was pastor at, Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church.
Neeley told the Courier that Pastor Mays taught him to “stand strong and firmly in God.”
Gennois Wiggins, center director, said she was “very satisfied” with how the dedication went. She noted the seniors enjoyed themselves and were very excited.
“One senior wouldn’t stop hugging me, and I thought he was going to cry,” she said. “The goal is and has always been to deliver senior programming and to deliver the best we can deliver in an excellent way.”
68-year-old Samuel Stewart said the dedication was “amazing.”
“It was a really uplifting event for the community and a joyous experience,” Stewart added.
Stewart used to go to the Brennan Center and occasionally visited Hasselbring when it was managed by the previous service provider.
“This is needed throughout the city of Flint,” said Stewart. “This is just maybe one focusing point right now, but I’m sure the other two center will be as valuable an extension of this community and have their special programs they will allow the seniors to be involved in also.”
Regarding the renaming of the building, Stewart said: “I think it’s huge. It’s fantastic to see a gentleman of his stature being recognized. His legacy will keep on going with the torch passed of his memories, and each of the citizens as they come up in their youth will know who he was and take an opportunity to know how he enriched the community by having the center in his name.”
