Hallie Q. Brown Community Center serves as a gathering place for seniors to enhance their independence through connection to services and activities. Learn more about Active Seniors, Magnificent Golden Agers, Retired Men’s Club. All groups are always welcoming new members.
Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, isolation and loneliness are serious concerns for our seniors. Hallie Q. Brown Community Center has made it a primary goal throughout social distancing measures to stay connected with these members of the Community.
The Magnificent Golden Agers
The Magnificent Golden Agers began in 1940 as the “Boys and Girls of Yesterday.” They are a group of women who grew up at or were otherwise involved with Hallie Q. over the years. Membership starts at the Speed Limit (55), and they are always open for new members. This group socializes, shares stories and information, plays bingo and much more.
The Retired Men’s Club
The Retired Men’s Club is a “Friendly Club” that shares stories and information, socializes and connects. Like the Golden Agers, the Club is comprised mostly, though not exclusively, of men who grew up or worked at Hallie Q Brown or the surrounding Rondo community. Membership is for those who are retired.
If you’re interested in becoming a new member or learning more about these programs, you can contact Angie Goettl: 651-224-4607 or agoettl@hallieqbrown.org
Active Seniors
While the COVID-19 pandemic has limited the wide variety of events and programs offered to seniors, Hallie Q. Brown Community Center is working hard to keep seniors connected and active. From the start of the stay-at-home order, staff has checked in with senior community members weekly,
If you are in need of food, emergency supplies, or any other support, please reach out to Angie Goettl: call (651-224-4607 or email agoettl@hallieqbrown.org.
Seniors & the Community Archive
The historic Rondo Community and Hallie Q. Brown Community Center in particular have been historic gathering places for African Americans in St. Paul, Minnesota. The story of Rondo is crucial for understanding complete and accurate history in Minnesota, although it has long been omitted from the dominant narrative. In addition, many seniors who attend programs at Hallie Q. Brown lived in Rondo, remember its stories, and are willing to share about the history of the Community. With over 2,000 photographs in our Community Archive, seniors have helped identify pictured individuals, names, locations, and landmarks, especially valuable when some of these locations no longer exist. As seniors advance in age, we seek to capture as many oral histories as possible.
Do you have a story of Rondo or know someone who might? Contact Kayla Jackson: kjackson@hallieqbrown.org and visit our Community Archive page.
Resources for Seniors
Click here to read Ramsey County’s Health Aging Digest for May 2021.
The Project for Advancing Healthcare Stewardship is seeking participants ages mid-50s and up for forums on topics like narrative health and the healthcare system. To learn more, click this link.
