Clinic Worker is Devoted to Area’s Seniors
By Cynthia T. Pegram
Lynchburg News and Advance
Tuesday, March 18, 2003A handwritten birthday message might not seem special to a lot of folks. But for Jane Ayers, it was an inspiration.
Four years ago, her mother, Mary Mawyer, suffered a stroke that left her unable to write.
“She told me, ‘This is just a small setback. I’m going to be okay.”
“So for my birthday, the following year, she wrote my card out in her handwriting,” said Ayers. “She’s my hero.”
Her mom, now 80, continues to inspire her, said Ayers. “If she could do this, there is nothing that I can’t do.”
Ayers is the office and program manager of the Free Clinic of Central Virginia, where she has worked for nine years. Her job entails a lot of behind-the-scenes work, including determining eligibility.
“I’m kind of like the social worker for the clinic,” she said.
Bob Barlow, clinic executive director, describes her as “an unsung hero” who recently received the United Way of Central Virginia’s Nancy L. Sorrells Award. The award is presented to an employee of a nonprofit agency who has demonstrated loyalty, trustworthiness, hard work, and perseverance in his or her job and in the community.
“She’s very organized,” said Barlow. “When she’s here, the place runs more smoothly.” When she’s not there, patients always ask about her, he said.
Ayers usually works four 10-hour days, though on evening clinic days her day may stretch to 12 hours.
One of her responsibilities is to find replacement if a medical volunteer has to cancel without warning.
“If a true volunteer knows you’re desperate they can hear it in your voice if you call at the last minute,” said Ayers. “We do have some very loyal volunteers, and it does make my job easy.”
She also reviews client charts every three months for eligibility to make sure they’re not over income. She has the ability to say “no” with compassion, but mean it.
“You understand their side—they’ve got so much going on. You try to deal with that, but then you’ve got this goal where you have to help as many people as you can with what we have to help with. So we have our limits of what we can do.”
“But,” she said, “We’re not going to drop a person with no care. I just don’t think that’s why we are here.”
When first employed by the Free Clinic, it was as a part-time receptionist, 20 hours a week. But about eight months later, her supervisor left and then the director left. Ayers was asked to take over the office manager role then, “and I have been here ever since,” she said, although her job title has changed several times.
Ayers said she loves her work, and admires the clients. “After about three months, I realized these people needed some friendship and they needed a little encouragement. Someone to listen a little… they truly needed someone to care.”
And she does care.
It’s not unusual for Ayers to befriend patients, according to Barlow. And she has a special place in her heart for all elderly.
“I love senior citizens. I truly love them, I don’t think America does enough for our senior citizens,” Ayers said. “I think they deserve our respect and honor because they worked in their younger days and made our country what it is today.”
At the Free Clinic she sees their struggle to balance the need for medical care against their basic needs.
“We see people who are living on $300 a month and get $10 in food stamps—I can’t buy milk and bread for $10 a week, much less $10 a month,” said Ayers.
Ayers is a person who is involved in her community. Although she is employed in a service setting, Ayers does not limit her service to the Free Clinic. She volunteers at the Daily Bread, as well as several other organizations. She and her husband Leroy also volunteer for Meals On Wheels.
Born and raised in Lynchburg she married at 16—“still married to the same guy, still speaking to each other,” she said. Now married for 34 years, they are the parents of four grown children.
Ayers says she has taught her children to do their part.
“I tell my children this—you can’t save the world, but you can help your little community.”
“I have this thing—when I don’t see children eating at the Daily Bread any longer that’s when I’ll take my money and write a check to go out of my community to help another organization.”
bioBOX
Jane Ayers
Office and Program Manager
Free Clinic of Central VirginiaI most want to meet: Elvis
Place I most enjoy: the beach or Nashville
Country I most want to visit: Mexico
Favorite TV program: ‘Dr. Phil,’ a talk show
Pets: three dogs
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