Joanne Joyce Gonzalez, Mimi to my grandkids – Charlottesville
Tell us about your volunteer activities.
I am a volunteer at Twice Is Nice, the nonprofit Upscale Resale Boutique that benefits Mountainside Senior Living. I spend several hours a week in the Gallery section of the store, where I use my skill as an interior designer to display the artwork, furniture and, accessories. I also do window treatments. It is a labor of love for me, and together with the dedicated staff and other volunteers, we have created a lovely place to shop or just visit.
What inspires you to volunteer?
I am inspired to volunteer because it is a way to give back and it is what is expected when you live in Charlottesville. How wonderful it is to live in a place that really cares about its citizens.
If your volunteer work could make one long-lasting change, what would you want it to be?
My volunteer work is already making a long lasting change. The profits from Twice Is Nice benefit Mountainside Senior Living, an affordable assisted living facility in Crozet.
What is a little-known fact about you?
I have been practicing Iyengar yoga for several years, which I believe is the fountain of youth.
What brought you to Charlottesville/Albemarle County?
My husband and I moved to Charlottesville because it has everything we were looking for in our “later years” and it is an easy trip to DC to visit the grandkids.
