Flint, MI — Every Wednesday and Friday, you can find 79-year-old Rev. William Whitaker at weekly cellphone and computer classes offered by Hasselbring Senior Center.
The center offers outings, dancing, cooking and nutrition classes, free groceries, and classes to protect seniors from fraud and theft.
“It keeps us current with what’s going on and the way it’s going now, with this knowledge explosion and this artificial intelligence and all the scams going on,” said Whitaker.
Whitaker is a pastor at Faith Baptist Church in Holly, Mich., but resides on the city’s north side, where he takes advantage of programs at the closest senior center to his home.
“The center has been refurbished…They put down a parking lot, they rectified a lot of things there,” Whitaker said. “Now it’s almost new. Now there are programs that weren’t there, and it’s increasing. “[Hasselbring is] the only place that some people can go. It’s a center of activity, and it’s a center of the community.”
The fate of Hasselbring has shifted following a recent announcement of a city take of the center located at 1002 W. Home Ave.
According to a Dec. 4, 2024 press release, the City of Flint will evict the current service provider from the building – a 501(c)(3) also named Hasselbring Senior Center – on Jan. 5, 2025, since the Flint City Council has been unable to vote to extend the Center’s lease agreement.
Flint City Council has been at a standstill for months resulting in the assignment of a court-ordered mediator on Dec. 11 after Flint’s Ethics and Accountability Board filed a complaint.
Among many other items of unfinished business, approval of the center’s lease was postponed indefinitely at a Nov. 25 Special Affairs committee meeting.
“The lease never got approved through city council, and that’s kind of what led to the final decision by the mayor and his administration to sever ties with the current management team and to have the city take over from there,” said First Ward Flint City Councilman Leon El-Alamin.
For years, Hasselbring’s yearly rent was $1, and the non-profit was able to retain 100% of its rental income, which was used to pay for staff and operations.
The eviction announcement comes after months of dissent from seniors, community leaders and, council members who protested the city’s original proposal to charge the non-profit $500 monthly rent and 10 percent of their rental revenue–revenue that is used for staffing.
When asked if there was anything that could be done, El-Alamin maintained that authority lies with Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley and his administration moving forward.
The nonprofit that manages the building is operated by a board of eight members and Hasselbring’s Executive Director Beverly Lewis.
“It’s a 501(c)(3). We, the citizens, basically own the center…I don’t know why they keep bothering the center and the persons involved because our director, she is very gifted,” said Whitaker. “[Lewis] knows how to write the grants and do almost whatever needs to be done that might, that might be what upsets a lot of them.”
Shortly after the city announced its plan to take over managing the center in January, Lewis posted an open letter on Facebook on Dec. 9 stating:
“The Hasselbring Senior Center, a long-standing 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the senior citizens of Flint, Michigan and, Genesee County, is under attack by the City of Flint administration.”
In the post, Lewis goes on to say that the City of Flint has been responsible for a series of “misinformation campaigns” and is attempting to “undermine our mission and dismantle our organization” by issuing this eviction notice, followed up with a call to action.
“I’m asking for letters of support from residents, individuals, and then any community organizations that I work for, any community partners…I need people to speak to the administration to let them know how they feel about this,” said Lewis.
Lewis sent additional letters to the Mott Foundation, Concerned Pastors, multiple state leaders, and the City of Flint.
In one letter, she wrote:
“Hasselbring Senior Center is more than a building—it is a lifeline for Flint’s seniors, many of whom face isolation, limited resources, and health challenges. For decades, we have provided a safe haven for fellowship, meals, and activities that enrich their lives and foster a sense of belonging. Yet, despite our unwavering commitment to this community, we are now under attack by an administration that has chosen to spread falsehoods, bully our organization, and threaten our very existence.”
In another, she urged Genesee County Commissioners, State Representatives, Senators, the Attorney General, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to launch an investigation into the City of Flint Administration’s conduct.
The City of Flint Administration put out a bid for the management of Hasselbring Center on August 20, 2024, and closed it on Sept. 9 after not receiving any responses. The City also posted a position through Human Resources to hire a new senior center director.
Neeley’s office issued a Sept. 18 press release saying that the senior center would remain open and alleged that alcohol had been allowed at the building which violates city policy and led officials to seek new management of the center.
“At issue is the presence of alcohol at events hosted by the service provider at this City-owned building,” stated the press release. “Alcohol is prohibited on all City of Flint property. Moreover, the City’s insurance does not allow for alcohol on city-owned property. So, this puts the City in financial and legal jeopardy.”
Lewis cited the management bid, posting of her position, and the press release referencing alcohol at third-party bookings as examples of the administration’s “personal vendettas and political maneuvering.”
In the Dec. 4 press release announcing, the city’s impending takeover, the City of Flint promised a smooth transition and intentions to continue programming for seniors at the center while introducing more activities and services.
According to City of Flint Chief of Staff Ed Taylor, the change will also allow the city to allocate all of the senior millage funds toward senior services.
The “new programs” referred to in the press release have not been specified. The City stated that Neeley plans to have dialogue with regulars at Hasselbring to find out what they would like to see implemented.
“If we have to leave here, our organization is still intact, we will only be moving our services,” Lewis said. “We have a contingency plan…a location to go in case this doesn’t work in our favor…if [Neeley] wants to come in here and open up another senior center, that’s on him.”
El-Alamin did confirm that continuing to provide services from an alternate location is within the non-profit’s rights; however, he commented that this could create “a little bit of confusion.”
“If [Lewis has] got another location, I’ll be there. But…it could be a problem depending on where it is,” said Dorothy Richardson, another senior who frequents the center. “We would like to keep this location because a lot of people know about the location and seniors don’t like change too much,” Richardson said, adding that she can walk to Hasselbring from her home.
El-Alamin and Neeley are set to hold a Town Hall meeting on Thursday, Dec. 19 at 1 p.m. at Cathedral of Faith Church located at 6031 Dupont St., with the intention of “clearing up misinformation” about the senior center and ensuring transparency.
“We would love for our Councilman to help us out…to kind of get the word out and say we are satisfied here,” said Richardson.