Mary Williams grew up in Charlottesville and always wanted to be a nurse. However, being a Black woman, she was unable to attend a college in town to achieve her goal. So she moved away, got her degree, and had a wonderful career as a nurse. She loved what she did and who she helped. She was saddened to not be able to do it in her hometown, for the people she cared about. When she retired, she moved back to Charlottesville. And that was when JABA’s and Ms. Williams’ paths crossed and aligned.

JABA was trying to find a space to create a community center in Charlottesville. And nothing was working out. Ms. Williams knew that there were many seniors, especially black seniors in Charlottesville, who would benefit from the opportunity to socialize and have a nutritious lunch together. She organized a group and led a march down Main Street. She didn’t need to get very far before it caught the attention of the City Council, and all worked together to identify a space for the first center in Charlottesville. Ms. Williams and her sister enjoyed several years of attending the center. Ms. Williams was a wonderful leader in advocating for the needs of seniors, both at the community level, and even within the center for the activities that were expanded.

Marta Keane, JABA CEO