Each year, our Good Neighbor Awards honor some of the dedicated neighbors who volunteer their time to help seniors and people with disabilities get the resources and support they need to age and thrive in their own homes and neighborhoods. We are delighted to honor Evernease as our 2019 Good Neighbor Honoree for the Midtown Terrace Community Connectors.
Evernease moved to Midtown Terrace in 1979. When she was getting ready to retire from Pac Bell around 2001, she became active in the Midtown Terrance Homeowners Association. She’s still active and has held every office in the Association.
Creating a Program in the Community
“Because I’m active, I’m privy to all the things happening in the neighborhood. So, when our supervisor, Norman Yee, asked what he could do for the community, I told him I like line dancing and I wanted a class in our neighborhood.” Yee couldn’t do that, but he did suggest Always Active and talking with Marie Jobling at CLC.
It took a while to find a home for the program. Programs closer to the neighborhood refused to host them, but Evernease kept looking. Last summer, Evernease approached the Forest Hill Christian Church on Laguna Honda Boulevard and they agreed to be the program host.
Keeping Busy, in Addition to Classes
Evernease leads a busy life and can’t attend every class. She has her family, her husband’s family, her church, and her cancer survivors’ group. “When I’m here I come,” she offers. “I think the program is wonderful. The people in the class seem more mobile. It’s given them a new outlet. They’re meeting their neighbors.
“The program is developing as I anticipated. I’m happy with it.”