Healthy meals and fun physical activities help seniors stay healthy and happy

“I never danced when I was young, but now that I’m an oldie I always dance.”

You may not think about dancing when we talk about our Senior Meals Program at the Lake City Community Center, but that is definitely one of the top reasons why some of our regular guests join us. In addition to our nutritious meals, our partners — Sound Generations and Sea Mar Community Health Centers — organize many activities that range from dancing to gentle yoga classes, movie screenings, discussions, bingo, and arts and crafts in addition to regular social work consultations, resources, referrals, and so much more. Together, our goal is for the seniors joining our program to have a sharp mind and good physical health for healthy aging.

The comment above is from Teresa, who continues: “I’m happy with everything that they [Lake City Senior Days Program] have, and other things are coming soon. English classes are coming soon. And then we are going to dance!”

Teresa grew up in a small town called Zacatecas in Mexico. Currently she lives in Shoreline with her daughter and two grandchildren. Her favorite food is fish, but she enjoys making different food for everyone in the family. She recalls how she grew up poor and food insecurity was part of her childhood:

“We were very poor and there was a lot of us, so we ate anything my father found, tortillas and chili, small potatoes. When I was younger my siblings and I took care of the house and there were times my mother had to count the number of tortillas per person so we wouldn’t run out too fast.” After a brief pause, looking into the distance as if she could still visualize her childhood, she adds: “but I had a happy childhood, and it doesn’t affect the way I eat now.”