Fannie’s Story

Fannie looks back on the years when she could hardly walk without getting so tired and out of breath that she had to sit down. Where was the little girl she’d once been, who loved to dance and skip rope? What had years of working at a sit-down job cost her? Had retirement only made life worse, making it so easy to eat out of boredom that she gained 60 pounds?

That’s not the Fannie you’ll meet today. This friendly and outgoing music-lover now makes a point of moving, either by doing simple dance steps in her zumba classes, or stretching and bending in Nia sessions in ways that help heal her stiff and arthritic joints.

“Thanks to CORE/El Centro I’m getting my life back,” she says. She’s already lost 40 pounds, and is now more than halfway to the weight loss goal she’s set for herself. The classes are fun and they’re also very affordable making it possible for her to get her life back on track.

“I can’t believe a place like this exists,” she says with a broad smile. “I’ve never met anyone before in my life as concerned about you as the people are at CORE/El Centro. Everyone from staff to volunteers gives such a very personal touch.”

There were days when Fannie might have quit had CORE/El Centro not offered such a special team to help her. When she fell, breaking her wrist in three places, it was Jack, one of CORE/El Centro’s massage therapists, who eased her pain and gave her the confidence to move again. Now, her Nia teacher has helped her adapt her moves so she always stays within what she’s able to do.

“This program gives me something I can look forward to and it’s also saving my life,” she said.