DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — A new virtual community is gaining popularity among seniors dealing with isolation.
Freda Dickinson’s pandemic story might sound familiar.
“I do a lot more gardening and a lot more things around the house,” she said
The 66-year-old grandmother and nurse took a leave from her job at the beginning of the pandemic.
“It was frightening, a heart-wrenching decision because our company is short people,” Dickinson said. “Right now, they still are, people are still getting sick.”
As COVID cases increased, spending time with friends seemed further away.
“It’s easy to feel like then why am I doing anything,” she said.
Until she found a new kind of community.
“They managed to collect different programs, that treat the whole person,” Dickinson said.
It’s called My Health Angel, a virtual community for seniors, founded in Delray Beach.
“And we offer a vibrant variety of free live events and resources, geared towards the senior community,” David Stein said.
From cooking classes to exercise, and mental health help.
The co-founder's Stein and Dan Feldman say the program took off during the pandemic. They have hundreds of subscribers from all around the country.
“We’ve gone from one event a week when we started to three to four even five events,” Feldman said.
“Going back to the fact that life doesn’t end at retirement,” Stein said.
As for Dickinson, she’s now spending time with her immediate family and showing her grandkids her new skills.
“We don’t have that youth, but we still have a lot that we can offer,” she said.
To sign up for the upcoming group therapy programs offered to Florida residents, click here.