JCCOA Warm Hearts Winter 2025-2026 Fundraising Campaign (Brenda Vincent & Jeanette Lowe)
Brenda Vincent and Jeanette Lowe
Campaign: Warm Hearts: JCCOA Seniors Who Kindle Our Community’s Spirit
Call to Action: Learn More. Join Us. Give
A Place That Welcomes You In
For Brenda Vincent and her mother, Jeanette Lowe, what began as a simple search for activities became a source of belonging, care and unexpected strength.
When Brenda Vincent’s mother, Jeanette Lowe, moved from Mobile, Alabama, to live with Brenda and her husband, Rob, in early March 2019, the world was beginning to close around them. Brenda was still unpacking when the first shutdown announcements came. Within days, everything was on pause. For nearly a year, their only outings were quiet drives along West Virginia back roads- simple moments of discovery and calm in a time when almost nothing else was open.
Jeanette had loved her Senior Center in Mobile. It had been beautiful and full of activity, and Brenda assumed they would quickly find something similar. But COVID delayed all of that. So when the JCCOA Senior Center finally reopened, they went straight over, and their first moments there told them everything.
As they stepped out of the car, they met two women walking laps in the parking lot. Brenda introduced herself and her moth, and the women welcomed them warmly. That small kindness, Brenda says, set the tone. “You don’t take for granted that someone will be here tomorrow. You greet people while you can. This place teaches you that.”
From that day on, they’ve come faithfully.
Inside, Jeanette found what she had been missing: warmth, friendship, and everyday kindness. “They don’t push anybody away,” she said. “They welcome you, they talk to you, they call you to make sure you’re still okay.” She lights up describing the people who sing and write music and share it freely. “They’re like friends,” she added.
As Jeanett’s eyesight changed, bingo became difficult. Brenda mentioned it to Andrea at the center, who responded immediately: “We can make her her very own bingo card.” They created a large-print, laminated version just for her. The first time Jeanette used it, the difference was instant. “Like night and day,” Brenda said. A small but profound adaptation.
Over time, Brenda learned about other services she hadn’t known existed. Caring for her mother at home meant she’d had only a few breaks in several years. She’d looked once at respite care and found the cost overwhelming. But another woman at the Center gently redirected her: “Why don’t you look at this alternative?” To her surprise, Brenda found an affordable option she didn’t hadn’t known was available. “It had been there the whole time. But if you don’t ask, you won’t know.”
That idea- you should ask- threads through Brenda’s story. Like many caregivers, she spent years believing she had to shoulder everything on her own. A nurse once told her, “I didn’t think anyone could take care of my parent the way I could,” and Brenda felt that, too. But here, she began to realize something essential: taking care of herself made her a better caregiver for her mother. “There just comes a time when you know you need help,” she said. “It’s actually the best thing for them, and you are taking time for you.”
Jeanette, now 93, has blossomed in this community of peers and friends. She has celebrated multiple birthdays at the Center. One year during a Precious Memories band performance, Brenda learned something new: “I didn’t know my mother loved to dance!” Jeanette spent over an hour dancing that day.
She’s formed close bonds, like with Miss Rita, who hands out greeting cards and calls regularly. “I can’t tell you how much those mean to me,” Brenda said. To help Jeanette remember everyone, Brenda created a photo book of seniors they talk about at home- Peggy, Charlotte, and others- so Jeanette can match names and faces.
When asked what she hopes the community will do for JCCOA, Brenda is clear: “Eventually everyone has got to realize that this is going to be them one day. These stories matter.” She hopes people will step inside, meet the seniors, listen to their lives, and see the value of investing in a place that brings dignity, continuity, and joy to those who need it most.
For Brenda, JCCOA has been far more than a place for activities. It has been a lifeline of understanding, support, and compassion. “Every day, every person here… you don’t take any of it for granted.” The gratitude runs deep. Because when a caregiver brings a loved one to the Senior Center, she isn’t just seeking help, she’s finding a community that lifts them both. And that is a gift beyond measure.