CHARLOTTE, N.C. — What started as one woman's goal to support herself and other seniors has become a movement to make a difference in the lives of all Charlotteans 50 and up.
Rovena Jasper started Seniors on the Move more than a decade ago after seeing a friend in need.
"I saw that her father’s house needed help and I’m like, gosh, she couldn’t afford to do it all," Jasper said.
Home care is just one of the challenges seniors face. Another is inactivity, something the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says can lead to health complications over time.
“I’m sure you say, ‘Granny. I love Granny.’ But, you don’t have much time for Granny," Jasper said. "This gives us a gap where we're together. Once you become a senior, sometimes you get where you're not doing anything and you're home. That's the thing, we didn't want to be home doing nothing."
The group hosts fashion shows, events and volunteers in the community. Gwendolyn Wilson-Banks, the organization's treasurer, said Seniors on the Move made all the difference in her move to Charlotte from Ohio.
"Getting introduced to this group of ladies, it has brought energy," Wilson-Banks said. "All of the women here have found a place that has ignited them to movement, to involvement, to community service."
Jasper hopes to see the movement extend beyond the organization.
"I want to say to the community of Charlotte, we need to be more active with our seniors," Jasper said. "Give them a little love and show them they do exist because they were there for many of you when you were young."
Those interested in volunteering or joining Seniors on the Move can learn more on its website or through the Seniors on the Move Facebook page.
Contact Kayland Hagwood at khagwood@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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