By Diamond Williams
Special to The Mississippi Link
The Jackson Medical Mall Foundation has been working diligently to restore its relationship with its surrounding communities, partner with local businesses and improve community involvement.
While celebrating its 20th anniversary, the foundation hosted its annual National Night Out at East Village Estates and Homestead Heights communities Oct. 11. The National Night Out event was titled “A Going Away Party for Crime” and included live music from Sing Jackson, a youth choir directed by Hugh Davis; singer Richard Mack, free food, community vendors, free health screenings by Care for Me Services and children activities. The event was designed to encourage neighborhoods to engage in stronger relationships with each other and with their local law enforcement partners. The Jackson Medical Mall’s goal is to heighten crime prevention awareness, build support and participation in local anti-crime programs, and most importantly, send a message that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.
Sing Jackson, the youth choir program started by the Jackson Medical Mall, sang songs and invited the members of the community to join in. Singing songs such as “Lean on Me” and “I Need You,” the choir gained youth and adult participation with the message “we need each other to survive.” The event was coordinated by the Jackson Medical Mall Foundation, but also involved were the East Village Estates and Homestead Heights residents and the city of Jackson Fire and Police Departments. “This is just our efforts to revitalize this community,” said Fallon Brewster, public relations and marketing director of the Jackson Medical Mall Foundation. Brewster said the Jackson Medical Mall had the grand opening for East Village Estates May 19, earlier this year. The project to create the new community started in 2012.
While partnering with different entities around Mississippi, the Medical Mall built 44 new town homes in the East Village Estates neighborhood. As the Jackson Medical Mall works on more projects like this, Brewster stressed the importance of getting and keeping these new communities involved, so the Medical Mall plans to introduce more events such as this one. “Being that this is a new community, that we helped to establish from the ground up, we wanted to bring the community out,” Brewster said. “Instead of them always coming to us, we wanted to bring the event to them.” Some of the participating vendors were Southern Scentsations, Annesia Williams, author of How The Sour Lemons Became Sweet Lemonade, Mary Kay, Metro Jackson Community Prevention, Care for Me Services and Paparazzi Accessories.
At this time, the 44 homes in East Village Estates are fully occupied but if anyone is interested in information or desires to be put on the waiting list for a home, contact the Jackson Medical Mall at (601) 982 -8467.
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