Gary Mayor Eddie Melton remembers walking down Broadway Avenue with his grandmother, boarding a bus and going to shop for fresh fruits and vegetables.
“I cherish the memory of the values and principles that my grandmother instilled in me as a young man,” Melton said. “I see the quality of access to fresh fruits and vegetables at the time, something I know for granted, and these are the issues and topics we have to look at today.”
Melton recalled those experiences with his grandmother as he announced Gary’s age-friendly advisory council, which will be made up of 13 members that will serve two-year terms. The council was created in partnership with AARP’s Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities.
Melton signed an executive order Monday that created the council, which will host roundtable discussions to create, invest and focus on various programs for Gary’s senior residents. Council members are appointed by Melton and include residents, governmental officials and business people.
“It’s extremely important to me that we, as a city, ensure that we’re increasing access to housing, access to health care and making sure we have fresh food every day,” Melton said.
Melton announced the age-friendly council at Silver Monday at J’s Breakfast Club in Gary. Silver Monday brings community members together with local officials to answer questions and learn about programs.
The first Monday of each month is dedicated to government leaders, said Rosie Washington, who’s in charge of Silver Monday.
“We’re going to embrace a program that makes seniors feel like they have some worth,” Washington said.
More than half of Gary residents are older than 50 years old, according to U.S. Census data.
With the partnership, Gary is joining a network of cities nationwide that work with AARP, said Kianna Grant, director of the Mayor’s Office of Constituent Services.
AARP’s Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities helps communities nationwide become better for senior residents. The program focuses on several improvement areas, Grant said, including transportation, housing, and civic and social participation.
The city will conduct a community needs assessment, Grant said, which will help evaluate what focus areas the community values most. The age-friendly council will deploy the assessment at several locations in the city, and it will be available online.
“This assessment is very crucial,” Grant said. “It gives us a very clear, data-driven understanding of what our residents truly need. It’s going to ensure that the efforts of Mayor Melton, the city of Gary and the council reflects the realities of what people are facing.”
Grant is confident that the council and program will help Gary’s senior residents. She said the council will have its first meeting this month and then will determine how frequently they meet.
Emily Gorman, director of community engagement with AARP Indiana, said she’s excited for how AARP will help the city through the council.
“We are delighted to celebrate alongside the city of Gary today as they mark this incredible commitment to making Gary a more age-friendly place for all residents,” Gorman said.
Membership in AARP’s Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities doesn’t mean that an area is age friendly or a good place to retire, Gorman said. It means that a community is committed to improving for residents of all ages.
“Thank you for your commitment to making Gary a more age-friendly community,” Gorman said to city officials. “Let’s continue to work together to ensure that this area is a place where people of all ages can thrive.”
