Mamie McClary
I was born and went to school through the fourth grade here, continued in Birmingham, and then I went to New York to further my education, to work, and I retired in 1986.
Now I’m on the town council here in Akron, I’m part of a community leaders group to help the community, and I pay dues at the volunteer fire department.
I pick up others and come to the senior center Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Many seniors want to come, but can’t take advantage of it without a way to get here.
The Auburn Rural Studio renovated this senior citizen building, and it makes a tremendous difference in the town. A common building gives us a place where people can eat together. Individuals are exposed to available services they weren't aware of such as health programs with medication and bus trips to Montgomery to meet their representatives.
Knowledge is power, it enriches their lives. By being able to come here, they are exposed to more. Each day being able to meet individuals here you pick up information you didn’t know in conversation with people.
The Auburn students worked many months renovating that building over on the corner as a Boys and Girls Club and to this day it has never been used for what it was intended for. I am very disappointed. Young people here have no gathering place. We have young people walking around during the summer months who have nothing to do. The youth are the future, we should be focusing on them.
My main focus is to work to get a place for our young people where they would be properly supervised with structured programs. If that building was open and operating under the Boys and Girls Club of America, young people would have a place to come together in the afternoon for doing homework after school, tutoring, having lectures, going on trips, intermingling with people outside the community, and participating in games.
I'd like to see growth. The town itself has not gone forward. Revenue from taxes is limited because there is no industry. Coming together as a community and working toward bringing some business and industry here could help.
There is no community building for participating except church. It’s important for people to have a place to meet people and talk rather than being shut away in your home. The youths can learn from the seniors and the seniors can learn from the youths. We need to have meetings to get people to come open up and speak about their opinions.
We go in our different directions rather than working together on projects. There’s a lot in this area that needs to be done, even if it’s just beautifying the community. We might not have much money, but we can have a clean place to live. Old cars and debris influence children, they don’t see adults taking pride in where they live.
Mamie McClary.
Town Council Member. Akron, Alabama
Outsidein. A Community Space for Hale County.
outsidein: a community space for hale county. build space with your voice.
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