Jerry Donaldson a 55 year old native of South Bend married with children and grandchildren.
The Executive Director of Renew, Inc. a local housing company that helps first time homeowners purchase homes.
In the last 22 years I have helped to house over 200 families and have spent more than nine million for housing.
I have been a member of many local boards aimed at helping the South Bend community, YMCA, Urban Youth Services, 21 Century Scholars, South Bend Bureau of Housing, South Bend Heritage Foundation, LaSalle Park Homes.
I am currently an Elder and Administrative Assistant at New Horizon Outreach Ministries, Member of Par Putters, 100 black Men of Greater South Bend, South Bend Alumni Association, NAACP, and Southhold Dance Theater NuTcracker.
I help with outreach ministries at Cardinal Rehabilitation Center, Hope Ministries, West Bend Nursing and Rehabilitation, Michiana Rehabilitation Center, and in the past South Bend Juvenile Justice Center.
I make donations to different organizations, Food Bank of Northern Indiana, Salivation Army, Hope Ministries, Red Cross and March of Dimes.
My goal if elected is to work with my fellow Council Members and other Elected Officials to help make South Bend become a model city for all.
Boarded up houses and vacant lots have become a major problem. We have serious issues that we are facing and we must find solutions to these issues.
We must see that there is parody in which the funds are allocated to the different districts in the City of South Bend.
We should make these houses available for purchase for one dollar, and make grants and low interest loans available to fix them up. The use of Tiff dollars can also be used to build new houses in these vacant lots.
We should use local contractors from South Bend, along with local residents and high school students that are in the construction and trade fields to fix them up.
We should also partner with local stores (Lowes, Menards, Home Depot, and other local businesses) so that we can get the supplies at a discount due to the volume of purchases. This will allow the monies to be made and spent in the city.
We should also find ways to foster new business relationship with retail, manufacturing, light industrial and wholesale companies to bring new businesses into the city.
We must create new businesses by making low interest business loans available to those who are loan worthy.
We also can use technology such as the telephone, computer, and television to raise the issues, debate the issues, and vote on the issues of the people.
We will be able to collect this data in a database and can find the answers to all our problems by using all of our people.
This technology will open up new ideals that will allow the elective officials and the people to works together to solve all of our society issues.
Let’s Put Unity Back into CommUnity Vote Jerry Donaldson Councilman At Large.
Meet the Candidates is a series introducing candidates in their own words. Articles are posted verbatim. South Bend Voice will publish articles for all South Bend office seekers who are on the May 5th primary ballot.
