the kindness gene WHEN MARY ANN “MIMI” JOHNSON SAW LITTER piling up along the road to her home at the Masonic Village at Dallas, she did more than just pick it up. She officially adopted the road and organized a group of volunteers to clean it up several times a year. After talking with Noah Davis, Masonic Village at Dallas executive director (shown with Mimi in photo), she took the initiative to contact PennDOT and file the proper paperwork to “adopt” the highway. She coordinates volunteers’ efforts throughout the year. This effort, and the many other ways she gives her time to improving her community, earned her Masonic Village at Dallas’ first-ever Volunteer of the Year recognition in 2019. When she moved to Masonic Village in 2012, Mimi jumped right into any opportunity to help her neighbors. This included driving residents to appointments, to run errands and to special events like concerts and baseball games. On snowy mornings, you could find her cleaning off cars for those she knew wouldn’t be able to do it themselves. “Our community is made of singles and couples, younger and older, physically-abled and some notso-much,” she said. “Helping to make their lives more easy and fun is a big part of my makeup.” After attending one meeting of the Resident Association, she volunteered to join the board. Among her contributions to the group has been starting a wish list of “extra” things residents wanted for the campus. She has also been involved in the Social Committee and helped to organize trips. Beyond Masonic Village, Mimi is a senior peer counselor with Luzerne County. She visits with older adults who may be confined to their homes, spending time reading, talking and keeping them company.
4
Winter 2020 Issue
“Our community is made of singles and couples, younger and older, physically-abled and some not-so-much,” she said. “Helping to make their lives more easy and fun is a big part of my makeup.” She also serves on the board of Equines for Freedom, an organization which uses horses to provide therapy for veterans and first responders to help with posttraumatic stress. The services are free for clients, and Mimi and her sister have held a fundraiser to support the organization for the last four years, with the next one scheduled for August. It’s a cause close to their hearts. They volunteer in memory of their brother, Bill Johnson, who served in Vietnam and died as a result of complications from being sprayed with Agent Orange. Mimi’s mother also resides at Masonic Village at Dallas and was the main reason for Mimi’s move. Her mother needs more daily assistance now, so Mimi has put some of her volunteer responsibilities on hold. As much as Mimi gives of herself to volunteering, she has gained a lot, as well. “It is always wonderful to meet and make new friends,” she said, “and that is the best part of living at Masonic Village.”
