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.”