Heart of a Community Leader

Children and parents smile when they greet “Miss Jane” during homework help hour or citizenship classes. Jane Wilson just completed her second year working with FACETS, a nonprofit dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty and homelessness in northern Virginia. She is a community advocate, Education and Community Development leader, and friend to those she serves. At sixty years old, Wilson cares for community families with the industrious, protective nature of a mother hen.

Prior to joining the nonprofit full-time, Wilson worked as a Macy’s executive for 33 years and volunteered with her church, Burke United Methodist. “I was able to retire early enough that I could spend my last working years doing something I really loved to do, which was social work.” Jane currently handles several people’s worth of tasks and responsibilities with the help of interns, many of whom come from nearby George Mason University.

Wilson says the majority of the low-income families she works with are refugees. “Trust is very hard for them,” she says. “They didn’t initially, like, ‘What is this white do-gooder woman doing here?’” Two years later, they trust Wilson to resolve disputes and address their needs. When one family was threatened with eviction, Wilson helped them bring their home up to hygiene standards. One of her projects is a community leadership development program called Community Voices. Another is cultural assimilation. Language barriers often cause conflicts and misunderstandings with neighbors or authorities. She helps community members understand their mail and communicate with teachers, lawyers, and housing managers.

Each day brings new challenges. Wilson regrets that she doesn’t have enough time to accomplish all her tasks. Her work is often heartbreaking, hearing tragic stories and knowing she can’t fix every problem. But she is rewarded when kids make good grades through homework help hour or when a family welcomes her into their home. Experience has taught Wilson to learn from others and cross cultural barriers: “Culturally, I don’t necessarily know best. I need to listen and steer them, but not think that I’m right because I’m the American.” Jane cares deeply for the people she serves, despite the messiness of dealing with their issues. She jokes, “You don’t want to get me started ’cause I really love what I’m doing.”

Mothers' Day is Every Day: A Special Tribute to Moms

Mothers have a role that requires an immeasurable amount of patience and love and a commitment that extends well beyond the annual celebration of Mothers’ Day. Their contributions to our lives often define our personalities, goals and values. Like many moms, Jeanine Babyak dedicates herself to meeting the needs of her children. However, unlike most moms, she brings world travels and artistic flare to her home and her children.

Although she was born at an Army base in the small town of Fayetteville, NC, days before Christmas in 1965, Babyak spent most of her childhood abroad due to her military dad’s assignments. Without permanent roots, she learned to make friends quickly and seize memory-making opportunities. When she reached high school, she moved with her mom and sister to the U.S. and then attended Liberty University, now the largest Christian university in the world. Babyak graduated with a degree in Communication and met and married her husband, Bill, in 1993. They soon settled in northern Virginia and joined Sovereign Grace Church of Fairfax. Dissatisfied with public school standards and environments, Babyak decided to homeschool her two daughters and helped establish their church’s dynamic homeschool co-op.

For many years, “Mrs. Babyak” was a favorite art teacher in the co-op, creating her own curriculum to incorporate art into world history through the ages. Fellow teacher Marcie Concepcion remarked, “She has shown me what it means to do everything as unto the Lord, to the best of her ability, even when others would settle for less.” She has always been an artist at heart, applying herself to interior design, painting, and set and costume design as needs arise. In addition to art, Babyak taught Spanish and history over the years. Former art student Megan Merryman said, “Now as a sophomore in college, I still witness her love and passion for serving the co-op.  Jeanine is a very talented lady who works joyfully and passionately on the many projects she undertakes.  She genuinely cares for her students in- and outside of the classroom and wants to see each one succeed.”

“Industrious” and “inspiring” only begin to describe Jeanine. She is known for throwing her whole being into everything she does with a creative flare and for joyfully giving her life away for others. A leader with great initiative and vision, she orchestrated an annual themed co-op celebration for many years. Merryman, said, “Each year-end event involved decorations and food to match the time period in history the kids were learning, which Jeanine was actively a part of planning and setting up each event.” From the very beginning, she cultivated in her daughters a fascination with foreign cultures, a love for learning, and solid biblical values. According to Concepcion, “She is a woman of strong convictions and she follows [them] with great passion, especially as a mother. She has poured herself out for her daughters and for the friends that are in her daughters’ lives.” Her daughters attest to her fun, spontaneous personality characterized by honesty, loud laughter and tight hugs that often draws friends and troubled teens.

For Jeanine Babyak, being a mother requires unwavering dedication and has the potential to transform hearts. Her role is timeless and expands to include new friends and family members. Every day is Mothers’ Day.