Meet Mimi
Senior. Grandmother of 5. Mother of 2. Birmingham Resident. My Neighbor.
MIMI'S STORY
Four years ago, my 75-year-old mom, fondly known as Mimi, was living alone in a house too big, a property too large, and in a town too far away from her grandkids and family.
As her only daughter in Michigan, I was concerned about her future. My childhood home had become too heavy a responsibility for my mom, a widow who wasn’t getting any younger. It troubled me that it took an hour of driving to check on her after a busy day of work.
It’s a story all too familiar to so many families. In 2017, I realized that it was time to help her move out of my childhood home in West Bloomfield, where she lived for nearly 40 years. Convincing her wasn’t going to be easy, unless she knew she would be heading someplace better.
It was then that we started looking to make her new home in Birmingham--and how I came to realize that the city I knew for its schools and parks is also a welcoming place for senior citizens. For Mimi, Birmingham is a friendly city that’s easy to navigate, in a car or on foot. Everything she needs is close by--including her family. And when a city welcomes its seniors, it’s a place where seniors want to be.
"Moving her to Birmingham was the best decision we ever made."
Birmingham: A Safe Place for Seniors
Mimi bought a beautiful ranch house on a quiet, tree-lined street with meandering sidewalks, a couple of blocks off the main section of Woodward. Now she has a yard where she can garden, but not an acre of land to tend.
Finally, she became our neighbor, and my children and I are now able to easily drop by to say hello. My children love spending the afternoon with their grandma.
Mimi got a part-time job at a busy retailer in town, and now she and her friends, and her grandkids, meet for coffee or lunch at the Whistle Stop - the same place she took me as a child.
We are lucky to live in Birmingham, a city that invests in its seniors with services and infrastructure. I’ve learned how valuable the NEXT senior center is, with its talks, gatherings, educational meetings and services for seniors across the city. I once joked to Mimi that I was even more impressed with Birmingham when I could see it through her bifocals. She told me, “Wait until you can hear it through your hearing aids!”
Birmingham brought us closer. I stop by her house to check on her (it’s conveniently on my way home from work). She drops off cookies and comes over for dinner. Now, as I seek to represent all the residents on the City Commission, I know how important it is that every Birmingham family can have the same opportunity we do - to be family and to be neighbors.
I am proud that Mimi now lives in a town that has services and infrastructure specifically for seniors, and I want to do everything I can to enrich their lives even more
I hope I can count on your vote November 2nd!
My Commitment to Seniors
Mimi’s presence is a poignant reminder to me of the unique needs of our aging population.
As your city commissioner, I promise to be an advocate for all seniors. I will go out of my way to address their concerns, listen to their ideas, and make Birmingham a welcoming place for our aging population.
