An indoor picnic to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Ujima Village, a tax credit- funded, 52-unit apartment complex on Pennington Avenue for low- and moderate-income seniors and adults with disabilities, took place Sept. 17 on the first floor of this renovated century- old building.
Ujima residents and Ujima Village Apartments are housed in staff of SERV Behavioral the former Fraternal Order of Odd Fellows building, Health System Inc., the a four-story brick Greek Revival structure built in managing partner of Ujima 1910 on Pennington Avenue at the crossroads of Village, enjoyed a late Ewing and Trenton.
Five years ago, Ujima Village afternoon of camaraderie opened after major renovations were completed in over a dinner of grilled hamburgers and hotdogs and other homemade picnic foods and desserts. The event was sponsored by and coordinated by resident volunteers and SERV staff.
The apartments are housed in the former Fraternal Order of Odd Fellows building, a four-story brick Greek Revival structure built in 1910 at the crossroads between Ewing and Trenton. This once- majestic building had fallen into disrepair after being left vacant for nearly 10 years. A renovation project was funded with state and federal grants, private grants and a construction loan, and the Village opened in 2004. Today, UjimaVillage has an Outreach Community Center which includes an internet café and book-sharing library, a chapel, a child daycare center, a clinic operated by St. FrancisMedical Center and a work program.
Ujima (pronounced Oo- JEE-mah) Village was conceived by the Rev. Dr. John R. Norwood, founding pastor of Ujima Ministries. Ujima is named after one of the seven guiding principles of Kwanzaa and represents collective work and responsibility.
Phillis J. Chester, 83, one of Ujima Village’s first residents and the head of the Ujima Tenants Association, knows all Ujima Village Apartments residents Phillis J. about collective work and Chester, left,and Rose Glover help serve guests at responsibility.
Rose Glover, a senior resident for more than a year, enjoys the camaraderie among the tenants. “I know some of the ladies that live here and we get along well. I’m going to stay here (for good).”
SERV consumers Lawrence Phillips and Robert Walsh, who each share their apartments with other SERV consumers, are happy to be in more independent living arrangements than their previous group homes. Both now have the advantage of living in close proximity of their day programs in Trenton.