Joni Hendee and JoAnn Jones

[00:03] JONI HINDI: Hi, my name is Joni Hindi and I am the marketing and public relations director for the Dumas Wesley Community center here in Mobile, Alabama. I am 49 years old and today's date is November 13, 2023. And I have here with me my friend, Miss JoAnn who is a sale participant here at Dumas Wesley, as well as a volunteer in the program, too. Hi, Miss JoAnn How you doing today?

[00:40] JOANN JONES: Hi, Miss Joni Good morning. My name is JoAnn Jones. I'm 68 years old today. State is November 13, 2023. I'm at Duma Wesley Community center and I'm here with my friend from, she works for Duma Wesley.

[01:07] JONI HINDI: Well, thank you for joining me today, Miss JoAnn I am super excited to just have a conversation and learn a little bit more about you. Tell me how long you've been a program participant. Dumas Wesleyan. When did you start?

[01:23] JOANN JONES: Eight to ten years ago. I'm 68 years ago.

[01:28] JONI HINDI: Okay.

[01:29] JOANN JONES: Yes, ma'am.

[01:29] JONI HINDI: How did you hear about Dumas Wesley?

[01:31] JOANN JONES: Through my church members. I have a couple of church members go here and through my church members.

[01:36] JONI HINDI: Well, that was nice for them to refer you. Now for the listeners who don't know about what our sale program entails, it is a day program for seniors 60 and older living here in Mobile, Alabama. And what we want to do is provide day to day activities to keep our seniors healthy, strong and independent. And Miss JoAnn like she mentioned, has been a long time not only participant of our senior for activities for independent living program, but she also volunteers.

[02:16] JOANN JONES: I love coming and volunteers assisting the seniors. And when they come in at morning time, we have snack farm coffee and our assist them with lunch and our day to day activities, art and craft and bingo. And they just love it and I really enjoy it.

[02:40] JONI HINDI: Now, Miss JoAnn why was it important or why is it important for you to volunteer and give back to the seniors?

[02:50] JOANN JONES: My heart, I fell in love to singles, with my mom and with my family. I try to assist them and help them in all I can and just to get out and be, you know, I love to give hugs and when I see the seniors come in in the morning time, I give them a hug. Cause we never know what they go through from day to day, you know, coming here and I enjoy coming here and I have made friendship since I've been here, you know, and during the pandemic, we lost a lot of singing. But then I made more friends with us coming back into the program and I really enjoy.

[03:30] JONI HINDI: Did you ever volunteer when you were younger?

[03:33] JOANN JONES: Yes. All out, each one of my grandkids, whatever school they went to. I always volunteered.

[03:39] JONI HINDI: Okay, so you went to their schools and volunteered?

[03:42] JOANN JONES: Yes, I have volunteered at the Pritchard community center. Head start over the years? Yes, ma'am.

[03:47] JONI HINDI: Was that something that your mom and dad kind of taught you to do to serve your community?

[03:55] JOANN JONES: I was just always helpful. Even in my church. I love to help in church. You know, anything going on, I like to assist with it.

[04:04] JONI HINDI: Now, before we started taping, I know this weekend you had mentioned that you have several seniors that you go and pick up and take to church. And some of those seniors is one of my favorite. Miss Edwina.

[04:17] JOANN JONES: Yes, ma'am.

[04:18] JONI HINDI: So that is just so sweet of you to not only give back, you know, during the weekend and off hours, but, man, you're here five days a week, Monday through Friday. What time do you get here at Dumas Wesley?

[04:31] JOANN JONES: We get here 830. We leave like twelve or no later than 1215. Yes, ma'am.

[04:36] JONI HINDI: And what do you, what do you do when you, when you come in? I know you're the boss. So you keep things up and running.

[04:45] JOANN JONES: Everything going before the seniors get there. They get there like 939 45. So we try to have all these snack and everything ready and prepare lunches to go out to our outbound and prepare lunches for them. We have to sit up every morning, you know, to prepare lunches for them because we feed every day like 11:00 and we have to get everything prepared that morning before they get there.

[05:10] JONI HINDI: That's a big task. Every day.

[05:11] JOANN JONES: Yes, ma'am, every day.

[05:13] JONI HINDI: And we're not talking about you coming just maybe once a week. I mean, like I mentioned, you're coming five days a week. That's a lot of dedication, in love and hugs each day for our seniors. I love our seniors. They are so special to me. I try to make myself visible and go down and say hello to everyone, you know, at least a couple of days, three days out the week. And it really makes my day because my grandparents have passed on and my family lives, you know, on the west coast. And so just being in the presence of our seniors, it really reminds me how much I loved my grandparents and that, you know, they're just, our seniors are so special and important. And I think this program that we provide here at Dumas Wesley is, is really important, especially after what we all went through with the pandemic.

[06:16] JOANN JONES: Yes, ma'am. You know, during the pandemic.

[06:18] JONI HINDI: Yeah. Tell me, what, what did you know? Did you have to stay home?

[06:23] JOANN JONES: And, yes, during the pandemic, I was at home and like I said, going through my surgery, and I was at home most of the pandemic because I was not allowed to visit and stuff because of my health condition. And so I was at home.

[06:41] JONI HINDI: I bet that was really hard being there by yourself, because I know when I've talked to a lot of the seniors, they said that, you know, isolation and loneliness was something that they experienced for years because, you know, they didn't want to get sick and they weren't able to visit with friends and family and with their family here at Dumas Wesley. So what kind of a toll did that take on you?

[07:08] JOANN JONES: It took a light toll, though, because I live with my daughter and two granddaughters, and she have to work and my granddaughters have to work. But then we got Covid twice and recovery. I didn't get it bad, but my daughter had the Boca tobacco because she's a nurse, and we went through that. But I had one granddaughter. She didn't get it the first go around, but the second go around, she got it, and it affects her more than all of us. Yes, ma'am. But other than lonely, I never was alone.

[07:44] JONI HINDI: Well, that's good. That's a blessing.

[07:47] JOANN JONES: I never was alone during the pandemic. Someone was always there. But I miss my seniors. Like I said, we lost a lot of them during the pandemic. I gained a lot of more friends after the pandemic, coming back to doing and then with the seniors, you know, I'm just so happy we open back up because some, I was saying, didn't have nowhere to go. They don't go out and go shopping or communicate with other people because they don't, you know, have places to go. Let me say we know it's just a blessing because without the pandemic, you know, we, that we had church on Sundays era. But, you know, she was just so happy to be back here at Dunwin Wesley's.

[08:33] JONI HINDI: And I find that a lot of our seniors really consider Dumas Wesley as their second family. I've talked to the seniors that I've spoken to and have grown to love. I don't think that they, I don't think that they can say, you know, do Miss Wesley isn't their family. I mean, I think that they have grown to love all the participants here at Dumas Wesley, including you all and the staff. And like you said, it's their second home during the day. I mean, they could either be at home, you know, watching television and, you know, or they could be here at Dumas Wesley. Tell me about some of the fun things that happened here at Dumas, Wesley, with yourself and the seniors.

[09:22] JOANN JONES: Myself and the seniors is snack time.

[09:26] JONI HINDI: Oh, they love to eat, don't they?

[09:28] JOANN JONES: Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. We have one young lady. She loves cookies. We can give her cookies all day. She would eat them all day. We call no name, but she love her cookies with her coffee. And when they come in, we try to just have everything ready to serve them. But she is so sweet. And another. It's the game time. Our men's, they love Domino's, right? Oh, they love it down. What's ever going on Domino's, they love them.

[10:00] JONI HINDI: I think they only come to do miss Wesley to play Domino's.

[10:03] JOANN JONES: They love it.

[10:04] JONI HINDI: Yeah.

[10:04] JOANN JONES: And then when we get to pay. Bingo. Oh, they love bingo. They love bingo. Because we're bingo. We tried to get a little prize, a little gift for the singers, and they love bingo. And then we have movie day.

[10:19] JONI HINDI: Okay.

[10:20] JOANN JONES: Some of them enjoy the movie. And then we do art and craft. And we make different stuff for art and craft. Every holiday we do something for art and craft, like going on, not Thanksgiving. We're doing the reef is and we doing a pumpkin, what we call it.

[10:38] JONI HINDI: Well, you guys definitely stay busy.

[10:40] JOANN JONES: Yeah, we try to keep them busy when they. Here's something going on. Maybe they don't want to look at the movie. And then the days they don't want to look at the movie. We have enough art and crap out for them to do, like pain and different thing games. And we play Wheel of Fortune. That's a new game was introduced to us. So we do will of Fortune and they really enjoy. We used to do the cone roll. They went into the cone role a lot. But the wheel of Fortune is more like a mind thing. You have to think. And they enjoy that.

[11:12] JONI HINDI: And see, what's great about the sale program is that all the activities that you mentioned, I mean, they're. They're fun, but really, in a sense, they are keeping you all healthy because Domino's, for instance, it's allowing the gentleman to, you know, those cognitive skills where it's keeping their minds, you know, active. And, you know, even with arts and crafts, I know, you know, from, you know, the mobility, using your hands and, you know, your eyesight and.

[11:49] JOANN JONES: Yes, ma'am.

[11:49] JONI HINDI: You know, and so really, it's almost kind of a trickery. Like you're. You're making sure that these seniors are, you know, staying healthy and. But yet they think they're just playing bingo or doing dominoes or you know?

[12:06] JOANN JONES: Yes.

[12:07] JONI HINDI: And the bingo. Oh my goodness, you're right. Bingo, they're their favorite.

[12:14] JOANN JONES: They get out. They get. They get so excited.

[12:17] JONI HINDI: They do.

[12:18] JOANN JONES: We get it to play bingo. They so excited. And we have a couple of. When they win, we know they win.

[12:24] JONI HINDI: You can hear them all the way down the hallway, the whole room.

[12:28] JOANN JONES: When they win, they is so excited about it. And then another one we do. We do the chair exercises. We get there and the chairs they have got for the seniors, they are more comfortable and they hand held chairs. So when they get. We do exercise, they don't. The seniors, that's on walkers and stuff, they don't have to get up. They can use their legs and they can use their arms. Sometimes we do the ball where we throw the ball and get a mobility catch the ball to stop it from going out of the circle. And that's a lot for our seniors. A lot of them can't walk two, three times around the gym. So we try to get them moving and you know, motivated with their legs. You know, sometimes we do the kick to keep the ball in a circle. If the ball go out, you know it, and then that's good for them too, because sometimes we put prizes out and that encourage more people to participate.

[13:23] JONI HINDI: And they love those prizes. And you know, 100% like all of our seniors, they are living either at or below the poverty level. And so these daily essentials that are donated or that we purchase for the seniors are items that we use every day and sometimes take advantage of and not thinking that, oh, wow, like Miss Edwino or one of our seniors may not be able to afford soap or laundry detergent or toilet tissue, paper towels. I mean, so these prizes that we give away are much more than just prizes. I mean, they're really a lifeline.

[13:57] JOANN JONES: Yes, ma'am, in a lifeline. Because when I, you know, think about the prices and stuff to give, you know, some of the seniors, they own a supplemented income and after they, you know, get certain things they not. They can't afford to buy.

[14:13] JONI HINDI: Yeah.

[14:13] JOANN JONES: You know, so we tried to get them like, you know, like you said, the soap, the washing powder and household stuff that they assist them with.

[14:21] JONI HINDI: Right.

[14:22] JOANN JONES: You know, with every, you know, everyday life. And like I said, I love my seniors and I'm always open to them, you know, for her to come talk to me if they have a problem or whatever, you know, I tell them.

[14:34] JONI HINDI: Well, I know they love you too. Tell me about your. The special someone that comes with you every day.

[14:41] JOANN JONES: I have a sister. Well, when my mom passed away. My baby sister, and it's eleven us. Well, me and my baby sister, we take care of my sister Beverly, and she comes to the senior center with me. She came to start volunteering before she got into the program, and she's with me every day.

[15:06] JONI HINDI: That smile of Bev's, oh, my goodness, it lights up a room. I just. I don't think I've. I. So I've been here at Dumas Wesley for 16 years. I know you all haven't been a part of the program for that for.

[15:20] JOANN JONES: As 16 years we've been here.

[15:22] JONI HINDI: But for almost ten years, I don't think I've ever seen Miss Bev have a frown on her face or have, you know, be upset every time I see her. It. I mean, it lights up my day because just of the joy that, you know, she has and gives, the hugs that she gives and tries to keep.

[15:48] JOANN JONES: Her happy, you know, all of us, you know, she loves. She loves shopping. And when she's out shopping with us, you know, we have to keep up with her. But she goes shopping. Does she like something? See, the kind that when she likes something, she holds on to it. Yeah, she holds on to it.

[16:10] JONI HINDI: Yeah.

[16:11] JOANN JONES: But she's a joy.

[16:13] JONI HINDI: Well, I think that's great that both of you get to experience the program here at Dumas Wesley. And, you know, you both bring so much thank you to this program, you know, not only as a participant, but also a volunteer. Um. Eleven brothers. Eleven brothers and sisters, you said?

[16:34] JOANN JONES: Yes, ma'am. Wow. How long live here?

[16:36] JONI HINDI: Did you grow up here? What part of mobile did I grow up in?

[16:39] JOANN JONES: They ever live in the Pritchard area? We live out. I live off Westmore via Pastor park.

[16:45] JONI HINDI: Okay, and where do you fall in, in the line of the brothers and sisters?

[16:49] JOANN JONES: Are you the oldest daughter?

[16:50] JONI HINDI: You're the oldest daughter.

[16:51] JOANN JONES: I have one older brother in Birmingham, but I'm the oldest girl.

[16:55] JONI HINDI: And what about Beva? Is she.

[16:57] JOANN JONES: Where did she find. I think she's beef.

[17:03] JONI HINDI: Okay.

[17:04] JOANN JONES: Yes, ma'am.

[17:05] JONI HINDI: Okay. Well, I sure would like to meet more of your family members. And let me tell you, you both are beautiful. I mean, the skin, the glow.

[17:15] JOANN JONES: Thank you.

[17:16] JONI HINDI: My goodness. If I looked at you and Bev, I wouldn't think that you would meet the requirement of being 60 and older for our program. I mean, girl, you both got it going on, I tell you.

[17:28] JOANN JONES: Thank you. We enjoy each other, you know, and I try to make her happy, you know, I know she's missing mommy. She lost her daughter would be three years ago. And so we have a 16 year.

[17:41] JONI HINDI: Old, it was right before the pandemic.

[17:43] JOANN JONES: 16 year old grandson that we take care of me and my baby sister. Take care of her and her 16 year old grandson.

[17:51] JONI HINDI: Wow.

[17:52] JOANN JONES: His name is Brandon. We call him BJ. But you take care of a lot.

[17:57] JONI HINDI: Of people, not only here at Dumas, but just within your family, too.

[18:01] JOANN JONES: Yes, ma'am, within my family.

[18:03] JONI HINDI: Yeah. Yeah.

[18:04] JOANN JONES: And I enjoy, you know, I just. One day, he give us one day and I just pray every day and let's keep going.

[18:14] JONI HINDI: That's right. That's right. Well, do you have any funny moments that has happened over these years that stands out in the sale program or with, you know, any of the seniors or staff? Because I go down there, when I'm down there, you all are laughing and having fun and joking around.

[18:37] JOANN JONES: Do some in the kitchen, make a laugh? Oh, yeah, the cookie lady, every five minutes she have us laughing. She comes to the window, I got some cookies back there.

[18:51] JONI HINDI: So how many times does she get to come back for cookies?

[18:57] JOANN JONES: No number. No number.

[19:00] JONI HINDI: Oh, my goodness. What if one. Oh, my goodness. I can only imagine the day that.

[19:04] JOANN JONES: No number.

[19:05] JONI HINDI: We don't have cookies. That, that could be a problem.

[19:08] JOANN JONES: Yes, ma'am. She still asked, y'all ain't got a cookie back there. She'd be like this at the one that. Yes, ma'am. But we love her. She's sweet.

[19:18] JONI HINDI: What about the field trips? What's your favorite field trip?

[19:21] JOANN JONES: The field trip is going to the dollar tree. You have to hunt them at the dollar tree. We have to go to a certain dollar tree.

[19:28] JONI HINDI: Okay. They're particular about the store they go to.

[19:30] JOANN JONES: Yes, ma'am. They are very particular about the store. Sometimes we go to the rescue mission. That was a nice filter. Go to the rescue mission, support them. But the dollar tree, and we went out on a couple of hours to, we went to Ruby Tuesday with all the seniors and, oh, I bet you.

[19:49] JONI HINDI: Guys had fun, too, because I know, let me, like I said, I know they love to eat. So.

[19:54] JOANN JONES: Yes, we went out to river, too. We've been to barn here and they really enjoyed the barn here buffet because they have a lot of choices of different things.

[20:04] JONI HINDI: Right.

[20:04] JOANN JONES: And they really enjoyed that. Yes, ma'am.

[20:08] JONI HINDI: Now with the holidays coming up, you know, thanksgiving is right around the corner and then Christmas. Have the seniors said anything about what they're doing? What are you doing for the holidays? What do you do for the.

[20:18] JOANN JONES: My daughter's coming home from Texas. She live in Orange County, Texas, and she'll be here for the holidays.

[20:24] JONI HINDI: Oh, wow.

[20:25] JOANN JONES: I will have to do assist.

[20:27] JONI HINDI: Okay.

[20:28] JOANN JONES: And cooking. Not cooking.

[20:30] JONI HINDI: Everybody get together at one household.

[20:32] JOANN JONES: No, my daughter. Well, my baby girl, I live with her, and she's not into. Our sister's coming, so with her, that's enough company. Okay, you know, whatever.

[20:44] JONI HINDI: So small gathering.

[20:45] JOANN JONES: Yes, a small gathering.

[20:46] JONI HINDI: Do you cook all the favorites during Thanksgiving?

[20:50] JOANN JONES: Yes, they cook all their favorites. Yes, we do. Lemon cream. Lemon cream cheese, pound cake. My daughter makes it every year. That was my son's favorite. And then she do the macaron cheese, the dressing, greens, and she do everything.

[21:06] JONI HINDI: Turkey or ham?

[21:07] JOANN JONES: Turkey and ham?

[21:08] JONI HINDI: Turkey. Both.

[21:10] JOANN JONES: Turkey and one eat ham. And she do everything. And I just assist because she's coming.

[21:17] JONI HINDI: Okay.

[21:18] JOANN JONES: Yes, ma'am.

[21:20] JONI HINDI: Well, that will be nice.

[21:21] JOANN JONES: Here at the senior center, we are gonna serve them Friday.

[21:26] JONI HINDI: Okay. The. Friday.

[21:27] JOANN JONES: The.

[21:27] JONI HINDI: For the week. Oh, this Friday.

[21:30] JOANN JONES: So the week before, we are serving the seniors, they will have turkey. Turkey. We are doing turkey dressing, I think collard greens, sweet potato pie, macaron cheese. So they have a big day Friday.

[21:44] JONI HINDI: Yeah. Now, I know. I remember last year, one of our community partners, Goodwin Mills Caywood, they actually donated and cooked for the seniors and staff for Thanksgiving. And I remember one of the seniors, he said that, you know, he lives alone, and he said if it weren't for the sale program, he wouldn't have been able to eat a Thanksgiving meal. And I was like, yeah. To me, that, you know, it made me a little sad, but it also made me a little bit happy and hopeful that, you know, our seniors are able to celebrate, you know, the. With their family here at Dumas Wesley.

[22:30] JOANN JONES: Yes.

[22:31] JONI HINDI: Because, I mean, he's right there. A lot of our seniors do live alone, and I can only imagine it, especially during the holidays, you know, how difficult.

[22:41] JOANN JONES: Yes.

[22:42] JONI HINDI: That might be.

[22:43] JOANN JONES: Yes, we have a. Yeah, we have a lot of seniors live alone. So that's when I think, you know, we. You provide a Thanksgiving dinner every year. You know, even after the pandemic, we have no, you know, employees and stuff. But, yeah, we. I told them we try to provide at least a Thanksgiving dinner for them because, like you said, they might not get a Thanksgiving dinner. That might be the only dinner they get here for Thanksgiving. You know, the tradition of Thanksgiving.

[23:11] JONI HINDI: Now Christmas is coming up. It's my. My favorite holiday. Um, I know that we have some special elves who are granting Christmas wishes for the seniors and for you and for Bev. So what were some of your Christmas wishes on your.

[23:26] JOANN JONES: Listen, well, on my list, I told. I didn't ask for a lot. We put a couple of, I think, gift cards and what I told them, sweat suits, because, again, cold. I'm not a cold weather person, so I usually like to wear a sweatshirt or some sweats or something to keep warm doing it. And the singers really enjoy. Oh, they be so excited that day, you know, when they fill out their list and they get some of the stuff that they asked for. And that day is a. It's a fun, fair day.

[23:56] JONI HINDI: Yeah, it's.

[23:57] JOANN JONES: It's very exciting.

[23:58] JONI HINDI: Some of those things. Like, I think last year, some people got microwaves.

[24:02] JOANN JONES: They. I mean, they overwhelmed. Yeah, they just overwhelmed. I got nice gift. I was out sick, but I came back, I think, like, two weeks or something before nice fluff house, cold house shoes, and just, I enjoyed it. Um, I know the year before, I got sweater sets with the scarf to them. They get such nice gifts. I'm saying, I always ask for something that I know I need, and then.

[24:32] JONI HINDI: It makes you feel loved.

[24:33] JOANN JONES: Oh, yes. So, love. I don't just make you, you know, just to, you know, think of someone, just to pull your name and see your wish and try to provide the wish that you asked for, you know, that's. Yeah, because people don't have to, but, you know, from their heart, you know? And I told, and with my heart, I try to do everything from the heart. Even when I was sick and went through heart surgery, I said, lord, this my heart. I try to do everything, and I just love people's. I love people. So I'm like, babe, I don't meet no strangers wherever go. I don't.

[25:10] JONI HINDI: I can see that about you.

[25:12] JOANN JONES: I don't meet strangers. You know, I'm gonna speak. I'm a whole conversation, whatever. Even with kids, you know, I love my senior, but I don't meet. I don't meet strangers. Yes.

[25:24] JONI HINDI: And I think that's, that's one reason why you're so giving, too, and why you're so loved. Just because I don't. Of that, because you don't meet any strangers, you know, so, you know, whether it be our seniors or our staff, you know, you're there every day to, you know, motivate us and love on us and give us hugs and.

[25:49] JOANN JONES: Yeah, because when you come around, if I don't know you, they say, you know, I want to know your name. Like I told them was Sarah and, um, Rachel. I've been knowing them for a long time because when I didn't drive, my daughter used to drop me off in the morning time and across the street.

[26:07] JONI HINDI: Oh, it's Sybil Smith.

[26:08] JOANN JONES: Okay. I used to sit out there with Sarah and.

[26:11] JONI HINDI: Okay. Tilly opened up.

[26:14] JOANN JONES: Yes, the ma'am. I did it for years, sitting over her, and until this side opened up, and then I eventually, if I see a stranger come in, I asked, I met Dee Dee. I didn't know Didi, so I said, what's your name? I don't know, your face. And I end up being Dee Dee. And so when I see her now, you know, I'm speaking, you know. How you doing today? Yes, ma'am.

[26:41] JONI HINDI: What. What a woman you are, I tell you.

[26:47] JOANN JONES: Thank you.

[26:48] JONI HINDI: And I feel blessed to have known you. You know, when I first met you, I think it was when Miss Della was the director here. And, you know, I think of the former director, Miss Della, as, you know, my mom and she, you know, we still talk to this day, and, you know, all these memories just come back, and you're in those memories, and, you know, it's. It's.

[27:18] JOANN JONES: She was a sweetheart. Yeah. I always helped her, you know, do everything, you know, because that's what I tell the director now with Keisha over the seniors, you know, I try to help all I can, you know, because when you come into a place like this, you know, we had a pandemic, and, you know, a lot happened during the pandemic, right. It's not going to be the same it were three years ago. And, you know, everything she does. And I try to explain to her, I said, she's trained to do that. The stuff that she give us, she's trained to do that, you know, and just try to help her all I can. You know, whatever.

[28:01] JONI HINDI: A lot of times we just have to adapt with the times.

[28:03] JOANN JONES: Yes.

[28:04] JONI HINDI: You know, change is inevitable.

[28:06] JOANN JONES: Is.

[28:08] JONI HINDI: And, you know, but I think, although there have been some changes, I think one thing that stays the constant is, is that, you know, we love and appreciate and, you know, not only the staff, but, you know, our program participants. I don't think the love has changed, and I don't think that will ever change. And the respect that we have for our seniors.

[28:37] JOANN JONES: Yes, ma'am.

[28:39] JONI HINDI: Yeah. Wow. I sure am enjoying my conversation with you today. Do you have. Do you have any other, like, funny stories or anything that, you know, that's happened that you'd like to share? I know. I know you had mentioned, and I know that we were going to talk about this earlier with your heart.

[29:14] JOANN JONES: Yes, ma'am.

[29:15] JONI HINDI: And I can only make the connection that, you know, you talk about how you have you're a giving person and how you have this love in your heart for others. Tell me. Tell me about your. What happened, you know, with you.

[29:34] JOANN JONES: I had. I kept passing out last April, and the last time I passed out, I had to end up going to the hospital because I had got ready for church and my daughter was doing my makeup and she said, just a second. I just passed out. And I got up, scooted and got to the den and was still Finn and go to church. I was dressed for church and everything and said, no, mom, you got to go to the hospital.

[30:07] JONI HINDI: Yeah.

[30:08] JOANN JONES: And when I went to the hospital at that time, they seen a change in my EKG.

[30:12] JONI HINDI: Okay.

[30:12] JOANN JONES: From the previous time, I had passed out, because the first time when I passed out, that airbrush hit my head. I had a concussion.

[30:18] JONI HINDI: Oh, my goodness.

[30:19] JOANN JONES: Yes. I had stitches, had a concussion. So this time they went in and did all kind of tests. I had to have a heart cap. And when they went in with the heart cap, they found out I had three. Need to be repaired.

[30:32] JONI HINDI: Did you have, like, three blockages? Yeah.

[30:35] JOANN JONES: And when they went in for my three boxes, I ended up having four. They didn't see it on the heart.

[30:40] JONI HINDI: Wow. And how scary.

[30:44] JOANN JONES: Yes, ma'am. And I had surgery. It was a year ago, this past October 12, I had open heart surgery.

[30:54] JONI HINDI: So a year ago, you had open heart surgery. And today you are coming to Dumas Wesley five days a week, not only as a participant, but volunteering in the kitchen for at least 4 hours a day, going home, taking care of, you know, others within your family, and let me tell you. But you had somebody taking care of you that day.

[31:23] JOANN JONES: Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am.

[31:25] JONI HINDI: You know why, too? I think because he knows just how special you are to others. And so he wanted to make sure that he took care of you because he knows that you take care of others.

[31:39] JOANN JONES: And I, with my open heart surgery, when I went home, I think I stayed in the hospital seven days. When I went home, I stayed in the bed. I think, too. I was just determined to get up every day. I got up every day. I had therapy three times a week, but every day I was, I want to get out. And every day I got up.

[32:04] JONI HINDI: God knew what he was doing, and.

[32:06] JOANN JONES: He had blessed me to this day. And I have not been sick since they december with COVID And I praise him every day.

[32:19] JONI HINDI: Wow.

[32:19] JOANN JONES: This. Yes, every day.

[32:24] JONI HINDI: What a blessing.

[32:26] JOANN JONES: Blessing to me. Heart. Every time I think about it, I got this scar.

[32:33] JONI HINDI: I'm telling you. I mean, like I said, God knew what he was doing, just because he knew how much of a blessing you were to others, that he knew that, you know, you are one special person.

[32:48] JOANN JONES: Thank you.

[32:49] JONI HINDI: And I am sorry that you had to experience and go through all that.

[32:58] JOANN JONES: Yes.

[32:59] JONI HINDI: But. And, you know, I appreciate you continuing to still be here at Dumas Wesley and, you know, making a difference in the lives of our seniors and your family.

[33:13] JOANN JONES: Thank you. And I made a lot of friends at Dumas Wesley. Yes. Yeah. My friendship at Dummy Wesley's met an everyday friend.

[33:27] JONI HINDI: So how many, how many participants here at Dumas Wesley do you go to church with?

[33:32] JOANN JONES: It was. Do you remember Miss Rogers used to come in. Well, with her, you know, she go to my church, Beverly go to my church. You know, all us go to the same church.

[33:42] JONI HINDI: Okay. And did you grow up in this church?

[33:45] JOANN JONES: Yes, ma'am, I've been there for a long time. Over 40 maybe. Wow. My daughter is, my oldest daughter is 52, and we've been at the same church all their life.

[33:57] JONI HINDI: And what's the name of the church?

[33:58] JOANN JONES: Home screen missionary back to shirt. We've been there. It's me.

[34:03] JONI HINDI: Wow.

[34:04] JOANN JONES: Been there for a long time. Me, Beverly, all us all brothers and sisters go there.

[34:11] JONI HINDI: Does Miss Edwina, she doesn't live by you because Miss Edwina lives in.

[34:14] JOANN JONES: She live in Pritchett. Yeah. But on the way home, or if I'm going visit, I go by, I take her home. One of my seniors pick her up every morning, and when we get out of church, if she's into meetings or whatever, and I take her home. Okay, but I pick baby up every Sunday morning when she wants to go, I pick her and another sister up and we go together.

[34:39] JONI HINDI: Now you're, you're back driving, right?

[34:41] JOANN JONES: I'm back driving. Okay, so I'm back driving. April.

[34:44] JONI HINDI: Yes, I meant that. Just having that independence again.

[34:50] JOANN JONES: Yes, ma'am.

[34:51] JONI HINDI: Yeah.

[34:52] JOANN JONES: Yes.

[34:53] JONI HINDI: And you said before you were able to drive, you said, you said your daughter was dropping you off.

[35:00] JOANN JONES: My daughter dropped me off. And she'll come back and get us at twelve. Me and be up. She'll pick her up. They upstairs the house and she'll bring us and pick us up. Yes, ma'am. I. But now I do a lot of driving. Yes, ma'am.

[35:21] JONI HINDI: With all, you know, your family having to pick you up and drop you off before you were able to drive, I think they probably knew just how much being here at Dumas was, how important that was for you and for Bev, too. And so they wanted to make sure that, you know, you were here each and every day. I think that that also probably helped in hopefully your recovery too.

[35:48] JOANN JONES: Yes, ma'am.

[35:49] JONI HINDI: You know, getting you up out of bed and being here, serving others, doing what you love to do.

[35:57] JOANN JONES: Yes, ma'am. I love it.

[36:00] JONI HINDI: I bet your doctor was like, all right, Miss Joanna.

[36:03] JOANN JONES: Yeah.

[36:04] JONI HINDI: Does he ever tell you you need to slow down?

[36:06] JOANN JONES: Yeah. All I feel, but I say I love Joanna, you know, I don't overdo. I don't do lot at home. My daughter pretty well take care of me at home. Yeah.

[36:14] JONI HINDI: So your daughter's the boss at home, and you're the boss here when you're at Dumas?

[36:19] JOANN JONES: Yes, she's about to home. She's good. We always live together. No, my baby, that's a baby girl.

[36:30] JONI HINDI: How many children?

[36:31] JOANN JONES: I have two daughters now. I lost a son in 2008, but I have two daughters. One live I live with and the other one live in Texas.

[36:39] JONI HINDI: Texas. So the one from Texas is the one that's coming for the holidays. Okay, and how long will she be here?

[36:45] JOANN JONES: She's probably here a week.

[36:47] JONI HINDI: Okay, that'd be nice.

[36:49] JOANN JONES: Yes, but I've been still coming in.

[36:51] JONI HINDI: I was just about to ask you, are you gonna be coming to do miss during that week? Well, you need to make sure that you have her come. She's gonna come up so that we can meet her. I know all the seniors are gonna want to meet her and I.

[37:04] JOANN JONES: Yes.

[37:05] JONI HINDI: Ask about her.

[37:06] JOANN JONES: Yeah.

[37:06] JONI HINDI: Does she.

[37:07] JOANN JONES: Have you met Ladera? That was her son. Yeah, that's her son.

[37:15] JONI HINDI: Now, see, it's all coming together.

[37:17] JOANN JONES: Yes. Ladari, did you know he went to the summer program?

[37:21] JONI HINDI: Yeah, area.

[37:21] JOANN JONES: He came home, you know, he was in the summer program, but he didn't here at Dumas. Wesley, he's 16 now, so he opted the summer program.

[37:30] JONI HINDI: And then who was with him when he stopped by the front office?

[37:33] JOANN JONES: Brandon. BJ. That's Beverly grandson.

[37:36] JONI HINDI: That's right. And how old is he? Because I'm telling you, these two did not look 16. When I had to look up at.

[37:42] JOANN JONES: Them and their voice was this deep.

[37:45] JONI HINDI: You know, I was thinking, I was like, these are like 20 something year olds, grown men, 16 year olds.

[37:52] JOANN JONES: Yeah. Brandon just made 16 October 25. He made 16. And William, he'll be 17 December 8.

[38:02] JONI HINDI: Wow.

[38:02] JOANN JONES: Yeah, but, yes, ma'am.

[38:05] JONI HINDI: Well, they need to stop by here more often in when they hear.

[38:08] JOANN JONES: Yeah, he is.

[38:09] JONI HINDI: When they're here.

[38:10] JOANN JONES: Yeah, he'll be here for a week.

[38:12] JONI HINDI: Okay, so he's coming in with his mom then?

[38:16] JOANN JONES: He's coming.

[38:17] JONI HINDI: Okay, well, good, good. And how is, how's he doing in school?

[38:22] JOANN JONES: He's one of. He's in early college. He's a b student. He take early college. It's his third year. And he's.

[38:30] JONI HINDI: What does he want to, what does he want to be when he graduates or what does he want to do when he graduates? Obviously he's going to college, William probably.

[38:37] JOANN JONES: Going to be engineer because he into all that, you know, he's into early college now. He does in early college. He's going to be a sophomore. When he goes, oh, wow. Okay. Because he'd been taking early college, I think, since 10th grade, and he just a junior.

[38:52] JONI HINDI: I bet his mom is. So you had mentioned engineering. So you think he wants to do something in engineering?

[39:02] JOANN JONES: Probably. He's very into computers and stuff like that. Okay.

[39:10] JONI HINDI: Wow. And where in Texas do they live?

[39:13] JOANN JONES: Orange county.

[39:14] JONI HINDI: Where's that at?

[39:15] JOANN JONES: When you go through New Orleans soon you cross the New Orleans bridge. Come off the bridge.

[39:21] JONI HINDI: So, like, okay, so not too far. Deep into Texas. It's like right there on the Louisiana state line.

[39:27] JOANN JONES: Yeah. When you come across the bridge.

[39:30] JONI HINDI: Okay.

[39:31] JOANN JONES: Yes. Yes. And he's into football.

[39:36] JONI HINDI: So what position does he play?

[39:39] JOANN JONES: He plays how you play both offense and defense.

[39:44] JONI HINDI: Uh huh.

[39:45] JOANN JONES: Yes. And I had one grandson, he played for bailiff this year. He played for Orange county. Okay. And he paid for Baylor University.

[39:55] JONI HINDI: Nice. Well, football runs in your family then, huh?

[39:59] JOANN JONES: They love football.

[40:00] JONI HINDI: Football. And they're not only, um, athletic, but academics are Alabama fans. Are you an Alabama fan?

[40:10] JOANN JONES: I'm in a house with all Alabama.

[40:13] JONI HINDI: What happens if you would have gone in there and I ain't footballed.

[40:16] JOANN JONES: I'm not football.

[40:17] JONI HINDI: But wait, what do they say for, um, not Alabama, but Auburn? What? What do they say? It's not roll tide because obviously that's Alabama. But what do they say for Auburn?

[40:28] JOANN JONES: They'll look at the game with Auburn tigers because some of the God sisters and stuff, they auburn tigers, but they, you know, but they are Alabama.

[40:36] JONI HINDI: You should walk in the house one day when they're all in there with, like, orange and whatever auburn colors are.

[40:42] JOANN JONES: Orange and blue.

[40:44] JONI HINDI: Yeah. Do they call you, what do they call you? Granny, grandma, mama?

[40:48] JOANN JONES: Grandma, grandma.

[40:52] JONI HINDI: This is an Alabama household.

[40:54] JOANN JONES: Yep. That's what they would say. That's what they would say.

[41:02] JONI HINDI: Well, I know you have to get down to the sale program, and I sure have again, enjoyed this conversation with you and chatting with you and I, and thank you. And I just appreciate you being you.

[41:18] JOANN JONES: Thank you.