From high school sock hops as a teen to her local Moose Lodge in Salisbury, Maryland, 89-year-old Evelyn has kept one thing constant in her life – she has never stopped dancing. What started as a passion so long ago still keeps her spirit alive and her body moving today. “I had sisters that danced,” she says of her childhood, “and I liked the jitterbug!”
Evelyn was actually raised by those sisters. Both her parents died young and her siblings kept a watchful eye on her until she married at 18. She has never been one to mince words – Evelyn recalls that her first husband turned out to be “a drag.” And in an era when few women braved divorce, she packed up their children and set out to start over again on her own.
And before long, love came knocking again. “I had four children when he married me,” she says of her second husband with a smile, “so he must have been desperate.”
Desperate or not, her new match turned out to be the perfect fit. The couple had two more kids together and traveled the country, dancing every chance they got.
Sadly, he passed away several years ago. The only thing that got her through that difficult time? “I had enough people around me, so you take whatever comes,” Evelyn says.
Not one to stay down for long, she remains busy and engaged in her community even today. “We like to run around the neighborhood here,” she says, referring to the area she’s called home for the last 18 years.
Evelyn kept on dancing regularly at the local Moose Lodge until chronic leg pain forced her to take a seat. It slowed her down on the dance floor and limited her ability to visit her neighborhood friends. She didn’t realize just how vital activities like these were to her wellness.
Thankfully, Evelyn’s local Meals on Wheels program in Salisbury stepped in to help. They deliver nutritious meals and human connection to her door daily.
“I like the vegetables and the meats and the fruit,” she says. “I mean it’s all good.”
Unfortunately, local programs are struggling to keep up with rising costs and increased demand. An innovative partnership between Meals on Wheels America and Food Lion Feeds aims to ease that burden.
In fact, grant funding to 13 local Meals on Wheels programs across the country will help reach more seniors in need.
In Maryland’s lower eastern shore, where Evelyn lives, the grant is working hard behind the scenes to replace outdated equipment and deliver meals to older adults who’ve never received home-delivered meals before.
“A lot of people would love that,” Evelyn says of the delicious free meals. “I think it’s great myself.”
And she’s not letting her leg issues keep her down for long. She’s working with a doctor to diagnose the problem and is determined to be better by the new year. When asked about her plans, she says, “We’re gonna go dancing, doll baby!”