Zumba finds home at Pathways

by Karen Griner

Pathways' Program Director, Dawn Mitchell (center) joins
Day Center guests during a recent Zumba class.

The Zumba craze has found a home at Pathways.

Each Friday since July 22, about a dozen or so homeless women who are staying at First Light, Salvation Army, the YWCA, and Pathways have come to dance and get fit during a 1-hour Zumba fitness class now being offered at Pathways’ Day Center on Richard Arrington, Jr. Blvd. N.

The idea of starting a Zumba class at Pathways came from Nena Moorer, a first-year board member of Pathways. Nena is a certified Zumba instructor and teaches the class to guests alongside fellow Zumba enthusiasts, Zay Allen and Valerie Green.

Pathways' Board member Nena Moorer 

hands a Day Center guest a "hip scarf" 

used in Zumba to help participants 

keep time with the music.

“This is my way of giving back,” Nena said. “It has just been uplifting to see the smiles on the ladies’ faces.”

Nena was on a dance team in high school and in recent years has run 5Ks for local charities. But she missed dancing.

“It’s been spiritual and fun for me, and I’ve made lots of friends,” Nena said as a Pathways guest came up to her and gave her a hug.

Nena, Zay, and Valerie have lost a combined total of 150 pounds through Zumba, and they hope to pass the health benefits onto Day Center guests.

Zay, who is a pastor’s wife, is accustomed to helping people work on their spiritual side. “With Zumba, you work the spiritual side and the physical side together,” making the body complete, she said.

Nena Moorer (front row, left) and co-instructor Zay Allen (front row, right) lead a
Zumba class to homeless women and members of Pathways' staff.

Karen Griner is Pathways' Development Director. She can be reached at karen.griner@pathwayshome.org.