By Allan Jamail
Jacinto City, TX. April 11, 2023 – Elizabeth Flores, Jacinto City’s shining star, brightens the lives for many seniors in their golden years. Serving as the city’s Heritage Hall Director, there’s no doubt without her how difficult the seniors’ lives would be. As I approach my 80th birthday, I’m learning how my body’s physical and mental abilities are changing and how valuable the city’s senior program is for those who need some special care.
I often visit Heritage Hall, and I can see how Flores takes care of her seniors as if they’re part of her own biological family. She gives them each a true sense that she cares for them. She has her young college-age daughter Cecilia at times volunteering to assist with the seniors when she’s not attending college.
Elizabeth began her affiliation with the city’s senior program eight years ago in 2015. Then-Director Cindy Miller, another devoted and caring seniors’ heroine, was leaving her position with the city, so Flores stepped into the director’s position then.
As director, Flores assumed the awesome responsibility of having to comply with many federal, state and county governmental laws which provide oversight of senior programs. This is not an easy task, and the staggering amount of reports to file is very time consuming.
Prior to joining Jacinto City’s Heritage Hall Senior Center, Elizabeth worked with the City of Houston for 19 yrs under the Harris County Area Agency on Aging. She first started in the Information and Referral program, in which she advocated for older adults in Harris County by ways of information, assistance and referral programs. Later, she moved to the administration program under the Harris County Area Agency on Aging. There she worked with contractors and vendors who assist in programs for older adults in Harris County.
As the director Flores oversees the physical and mental needs along with meals for area seniors. She also manages the area “Meals on Wheels” program which provides a nutritious meal for home-bound senior citizens. She’s assisted by two Program Assistants, Maria Espinoza and Naomi Navarro, who sacrifice personal time and money to make the lives better for their seniors.
The center also participates with Harris County Pct. 2 gather senior program that allows them to use county buses, participate in Senior Olympics and parties.
Jacinto City Heritage Hall is located at 1025 Oates Rd., anyone wanting to learn how to join the seniors program should call Elizabeth Flores at 713- 554-9046 or email her: eplizabeth.flores@jacintocitytx.gov