Meet the Villagers

Sonia Brown - known as Auntie Na - is the founder and executive director of Auntie Na’s Village, a Detroit-based grassroots organization providing food access, housing support, youth development, and community wellness initiatives. With nearly 30 years of experience in psychiatric residential care, hospice, and in-home health services, Sonia transformed a lifetime of caregiving into structured neighborhood leadership.

Founded in 2008 in the same community where she was raised, Auntie Na’s Village has grown into a trusted anchor institution, scaling to serve hundreds of families weekly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Village was selected as a 2022 Lowe’s Hometowns grantee, and Sonia has twice been awarded the KIP:D Grant and recently received support from the Transforming Power Fund. Her leadership has been honored through recognitions including the Power of One Dedicated Woman Award and acknowledgment through Women Shaping Michigan. She serves on the Health Authority HOPE Academy Community Board and the Detroit Food Policy Council.

Her work exemplifies how lived experience and community-rooted leadership can build lasting systems of care.

CONTACT INFO

Phone #: (313) 894-8940

Email: auntienashouse@gmail.com