When life suddenly changed, Ansley Lail found strength in unexpected places—and a lifeline in Meals on Wheels. As she cared for her father, Meals on Wheels provided not only nourishing meals but peace of mind. Today, as General Manager of DSSOLVR’s Durham taproom, Ansley is giving back, ensuring other seniors and families experience the same care and community support that once carried her through.
In 2020, Ansley Lail’s world shifted overnight. Her mother, vibrant and strong just weeks earlier, was rushed to the ICU and spent six weeks fighting for her life before transitioning to hospice and passing away. At the same time, Ansley’s father, already living with dementia, suddenly needed full-time care.
“It was like the floor dropped out from under me,” she remembers. “One day I was visiting my parents as their daughter, and the next, I was their caregiver. I didn’t have training or a plan. I just knew I had to figure it out."
Her brother lived across the country, and with pandemic restrictions isolating families, the responsibility fell squarely on her shoulders. She managed doctors, medications, meals, and the emotional weight of losing her mother while stepping into a role she had never expected.
The grief was heavy, but Ansley’s nature has never been to wallow. “You play the cards you’re dealt,” she says. “You don’t stop moving—you can’t.”
For months she carried the dual roles of caregiver and professional, but the strain became impossible to balance. That’s when she found Meals on Wheels. What she thought might be just meals quickly became much more.
“It wasn’t just about food,” she explains. “It was about knowing someone was there, checking on him, making sure he wasn’t forgotten. That kind of peace of mind—it’s hard to describe how much that matters when you’re a caregiver.”
Meals on Wheels became her safety net. Volunteers stocked her father’s fridge, offered a kind word at the door, and made sure that even when she couldn’t be there, he was never alone. “They nourished both of us,” she says. “My dad with meals, me with peace of mind. They gave me room to keep going.”
That’s the part of Meals on Wheels that often goes unseen: the relief it brings to families stretched thin, the reassurance that someone else cares as deeply as they do. For Ansley, that lifeline gave her strength during one of the hardest chapters of her life. Even after her father passed, her gratitude for Meals on Wheels remained.
Her story is one of resilience, not resignation. She has faced loss, caregiving challenges, and professional crossroads, and each time she has chosen to rise, to keep moving forward, to play the hand she’s been dealt with courage.
That spirit of perseverance also shaped her career. After years in corporate roles in marketing, HR, and operations, Ansley found herself excelling on paper but yearning for purpose. “My career was thriving, but my soul was dying,” she admits. That realization led her to DSSOLVR, a brewery and community hub in downtown Durham, where she now manages taproom operations. It’s a role that marries her organizational strengths with her natural gift for connecting with people.
She doesn’t see herself as just a manager—she sees herself as a community builder. “I want people to feel safe here, like this is their space, too,” she says. “That matters more to me than any corporate title.”
Her sense of responsibility extends beyond the walls of the brewery. For Ansley, being a business leader in Durham means being a neighbor first.
“We’re all part of this community,” she says. “And if you’re in a position to give back, you should.”
That’s why when DSSOLVR launched its Durham edition of the playful fundraiser “Four Feet to Hell”—a hot-dog eating contest turned community celebration—Ansley nominated Meals on Wheels Durham as the beneficiary. “It just made sense,” she explains. “If we’re celebrating with food, we should also support those making sure our seniors don’t go without it.”
The event brought laughter, camaraderie, and a shared purpose, raising funds to ensure that more older adults receive meals and more families receive the gift of peace of mind—just as Ansley once did.
Ansley’s journey is a reminder that Meals on Wheels nourishes more than seniors. It strengthens families, relieves caregivers, and gives people like Ansley the space to carry on through life’s most difficult moments. And with the support of local businesses like DSSOLVR, that mission stretches even further, ensuring no one in Durham is left to face the challenges of aging or caregiving alone.
“Meals on Wheels was there when I needed them most,” Ansley reflects. “Now I feel compelled to be that kind of presence for others—whether it’s through my work, through our events, or just being part of this city. That’s what community is.”