Food, fun and games with the Grey Panthers
By Bobbie Fields
The Grey Panthers Game Night kicked-off last Friday night full of fun, food, music, and games. The Memphis Center for Independent Living Grey Panthers is a peer-to-peer support Group for the mature crowd. Big thanks to our members for going the extra mile to make the first game night a great event. It would have never been a success without the help of each member who attended.
The Grey Panthers would like to thank the Direct Service Professionals for volunteering to serve and clean. A special thanks to Ms. Alecia for facilitating the Bingo game. It was a lot of fun and excitement!
Also the food and drinks were enjoyed by everyone!
Life after 55 does not have to be boring, lonely, or isolated. You are invited to come out and be a part of our vibrant Grey Panthers. If you would like to know about upcoming events; please contact Ms. Bobbie Fields Co-Facilitator at 901-726-6404 ext. 112 or Mr. Jerry Gamble Co-Facilitator 901-726-6404 ext. 122.
Exploring Memphis with MCIL’s Grey Panthers
By Bobbie Fields
The Grey Panthers spent a fun filled afternoon at the Benjamin Hooks library on Poplar getting to know all about how politics, race and the press played a major role in some of our cities major events.
The Grey Panthers are a group organized with the Memphis Center for Independent Living to facilitate peer relationships and social interaction for people 55 and older. The Grey Panthers confront issues of dealing with disability, health, finances and civic life.
The keynote speaker for the event was former newspaper man, channel 3 commentator and Author Otis Sanford (Boss Crump and King Willie). His book gives a detailed account of how these men influenced our communities, city and even our way of thinking today.
Racism was a major concern during the turn of the last century in Memphis and Mr. Sanford told the group about many issues 100 years ago. Some of the key players in our city political history were Mayor Henry Loeb, Mayor Wyatt Chandler, and Mayor Robert “Dick” Hackett, Mayor Willie “king” Harrington, The Crumps and The Fords.
Events like this one is only a small sample of what The Grey Panthers are all about. We try to keep our seniors informed about health issues, our city and community while having fun. If you are age 55 and up we encourage you to come see and listen for yourself. We meet every 2nd Friday of the month from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm at The Memphis Center for Independent Living, 1633 Madison Ave. For more information please contact Jerry Gamble at (901) 726-6404 ext.122 or jerry@mcil.org and Bobbie Fields (901) 726-6404 ext. 112 or bobbie@mcil.org
