Celebrating Alpharetta’s Character

publication date: Feb 11, 2008

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author/source: Debbie Gibson

Debbie Gibson

Alpharetta, meet Mindy Jones. Mindy is a rather unassuming woman. At a glance, she is attractive, articulate, and seems like any number of other women you could meet around Alpharetta. But there’s much more to Mindy than meets the eye. She is a woman who’s making a difference in the lives of many others.

Mindy Jones was born in Florida and came to Alpharetta 24 years ago. She has raised one child, a daughter named Sarah. “I love Alpharetta. It still feels quaint. It just feels like home, ” she said.

When Mindy was 8 years old, she had her first opportunity to do something to change someone’s life. There was a maintenance man in her neighborhood that commuted to and from work on an old, rickety bicycle. It was falling apart right before her eyes. Mindy took it upon herself to go door to door, collecting money from her neighbors to purchase a new bike. All she remembers is how grateful the man was for this gift when she surprised him one morning and how good it made her feel to do something for someone else.

Eight years ago, Mindy and some friends formed “Windward for a Cure.”

“A friend of mine was diagnosed with brain cancer,” she said. Within three weeks, her friend was gone. It was a very sad time. It was then that Mindy and these friends decided that in order to honor her friend, she would commit to raising money for the North Metro chapter of the American Cancer Society. “Windward for a Cure” started out as a small neighborhood fundraising effort through a tennis tournament and has grown to an event that is expected to raise $75,000 this year. “Everyone has been affected by someone with cancer,” said Mindy.

250 people attended last year’s silent auction and wine tasting. This year, ten local restaurants are participating by providing samples of their tastiest dishes. The event is scheduled for February 22, at the Metropolitan Club in Alpharetta. If you are interested in attending or want additional information, please go to their Web site, www.WindwardforaCure.org.

You would think that organizing an event of this magnitude was enough, but not for Mindy. She’s involved in several wonderful causes. They range from organizing AIDS Awareness programs for middle and high school students, to making prayer blankets for victims of cancer. This is a woman on a mission.

This year, she is sponsoring an eleven-year-old boy at the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta. You may remember the Hallmark movie about Ron Clark and the difference he has made in the lives of so many underprivileged children. Last year, Mindy was able to meet Clark and just recently visit his school in South Atlanta.

“What I witnessed brought me to tears. There he was, jumping up on the desk in front of his students and getting all of them to all sing and dance to a song about algebra. His students were alive with the desire to learn.” Mindy decided that she needed to get involved at a more personal level. Her sponsorship includes tuition for a year and, more importantly, a relationship with a young man whose potential is yet to be felt on this world.

If success is measured by happiness, Mindy appears to be an extremely successful woman. Not only is she professionally successful, but personally as well. When I asked her what her dream job would be, she said, “I’m already living it.” While so many people are trying to discover their purpose in life, I wondered whether this was truly Mindy’s destiny. She said it definitely is. When asked what she gets in return for her time and energy, her answer was, “It fills my heart.”

While mission statements are usually left to the corporate world, Mindy has her own personal mission statement which she has posted all over her house. She lives it on a daily basis. It is, “Inspiring people to live their dreams and to realize their full potential.”