More than one dozen men and women residing in the towns surrounding Matthews meet three times/week for a Squirrel Lake walk and then coffee at Publix at Fincher Farms. Called the "55+ New Friends Meetup Group," they range in age from 55-80's; none are originally from North Carolina and have moved here from as far away as England, as well as from other states across the country. Matthews resident and New Friends Meetup founder, Anna Langill, started this as a way to connect people with same interests. "There wasn't a way for seniors to meet each other," she said. They also meet up for holidays and go to movies, dinner and other events.
Photo by Cyma Shapiro