Occupation/Current Position
Organizer
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Charles Allen For Saginaw
Saginaw’s greatest strength is its people. We have generations of hardworking families, community leaders and neighbors who show up for one another, even during difficult times. Our second strength is our rich cultural history, from music and the arts to the small businesses that give our neighborhoods their character. Finally, Saginaw has tremendous potential for economic growth. Our location, institutions and ongoing investment create opportunities to build a stronger local economy. These strengths matter because they give us a foundation for growth that includes the people who have always called Saginaw home.
I have been actively involved with Michigan United ,The Neighb, Loyalty and The Remnant Organization, working on community organizing, civic engagement, voter registration and connecting residents with resources. Through this work, I’ve collaborated with community members and local organizations on issues affecting working families, neighborhood development and mental health. These experiences have allowed me to build relationships across Saginaw, listen to residents’ concerns and help bring people together around shared community goals.
My experience in community organizing has taught me how to listen, build relationships, bring people together and turn community concerns into action. I’ve worked on voter engagement, connected residents with resources and collaborated with organizations on issues affecting working families. My experience in customer service and community advocacy has also taught me the importance of communication, accountability and finding practical solutions. As a lifelong Saginaw resident and father raising two children here, I understand how local decisions affect families and neighborhoods.
Saginaw faces challenges involving neighborhood safety, housing affordability, economic opportunity and public trust in local government. My Everyday Saginaw priority focuses on safer neighborhoods, affordability and ensuring economic development benefits residents throughout the city. Through Our Kids, Our Future, I want to strengthen partnerships that support youth development, education and mental health. Your City, Your Voice focuses on making City Hall more accessible and transparent. I would approach these challenges by listening to residents, building partnerships and making responsible decisions within the city’s authority and budget.
I’m running because Saginaw is the city that raised me and the city where I’m raising my twins, Charles and Jewel. I want them, and every child in our community, to grow up on safe streets, receive a strong education and have opportunities to thrive, not just survive. Through years of community organizing and conversations with residents, I’ve heard concerns about affordability, neighborhood safety and the need for a more accessible City Hall. I’m running to bring those experiences and voices to City Council. I believe Saginaw’s success should be measured by the success of its people, and I want to help build a city where every neighborhood has an opportunity to succeed.
Occupation/Current Position
Graduate Assistant
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www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61592885100029
Education
Bachelors of Arts in Sociology
Saginaw is rich in culture, full of talented people, and built on the honest hard work of everyday working-class families. As a product of Saginaw, I know firsthand how much untapped potential Saginaw has within its city limits, and I am incredibly proud to have been born and raised in Saginaw.
I see our deep roots, diversity, and unshakeable sense of community as our greatest strengths because that can't be bought or manufactured. There is truly raw talent and hometown heart in the City of Saginaw, and that makes our city a place worth fighting for.
At SVSU, I focused on bringing people together as the President of the Latino Awareness Association and Event Chair for the Law Club. In my professional career, I've worked in constant collaboration with non-profits throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region to support local community initiatives. For me, civic involvement is about being an activator who steps up to build community and bring people together.
I grew up in the kitchen watching my parents run a local catering business for over 20 years. This experience not only taught me how to be of service to those in my community, but it also taught me the value and sacrifices that come with hard work. I am combining those values with an educated background specifically built for public service.
As a sociologist, I bring a deeply human-centered approach to understanding residents and analyzing neighborhood needs. Combined with my Master's training in Public Administration, I have the exact technical tools required to navigate city policy and budgets. I offer the fresh perspective of a younger generation backed by the practical skills to solve local problems on day one.
The primary challenge is economic readiness, ensuring that upcoming city investments are managed so that no family, young person, or individual gets left behind as Saginaw grows.
My approach is to serve as an advocate for daily neighborhood essentials like safe streets, fixing roads, and vibrant public spaces, while supporting pipelines that connect our youth to professional paths. On Council, I will look to champion initiatives like Responsible Contracting Policies so that public city projects prioritize our own skilled local workforce. We need proactive, open-minded leadership to ensure our city's growth actively lifts our entire community up together.
I am running because I bring a global vision with a local heart, a perspective shaped directly by my international academic studies in Italy and Mexico. I believe the time is now to stand up exactly as you are and be the voice you feel is missing. As the youngest candidate in this race at 23, I want my generation to look at me and know that they can step into these spaces of leadership too.
This isn't about me leading by example; it’s about showing Saginaw that people like me are the city's future, and we are ready to help make the decisions that shape our lives. I love Saginaw, and I want to show our community that we don't have to wait for tomorrow to build a city where every single neighborhood can thrive, the time is now.
