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Veterans nonprofit offers to buy Longfellow Elementary for $1 to create outreach center
Summary
Jevon Jelks of Veterans Light Corporation proposed acquiring the long-vacant Longfellow Elementary for $1 and converting it into a phased veteran outreach center; board members pressed him on renovation costs and long-term funding.
Jevon Jelks, founder of Veterans Light Corporation, told the Saginaw School District Buildings & Grounds / Finance Committee that his Michigan-based nonprofit offered to buy the vacant Longfellow Elementary for $1 and redevelop it as a veteran outreach center. Dr. Ramont Roberts introduced Jelks to present the proposal and Jelks said the organization completed a walkthrough and plans phased rehabilitation tied to funding availability.
"This project has the potential to reduce veteran’s homelessness, stabilize families and improve neighborhoods," Jelks said, describing the group's mission "to prevent homelessness, crisis and instability amongst veterans and their families." Board members pressed Jelks for more detail: Trustee Joyce Seals and Treasurer Ruth Ann Knapp asked how much renovation would cost and how the organization plans to sustain services, while Vice President Janet Nash raised concerns about operating costs such as heating older buildings. The board did not take a vote on the proposal at the Feb. 16 meeting.
