Joanne Carr | Positive Force

Hillary Odom

Magnify

Even Joanne’s voicemail ends on an encouraging note: “Keep looking up.”

Sending out positive energy is part of everything she does. Joanne had a career as a V.A. nurse, where her job was “taking care of America’s heroes, and that’s the way I like to put it,” she says.

When she retired five years ago, she started volunteering at First Baptist Church in Augusta, counseling people in need who line up on Tuesday mornings to get help. Many are looking for jobs and worried about how to pay the bills. She connects them with resources and finds the bright side.

“There’s some good that can come from even the most difficult challenge,” Joanne says. “When someone has felt like they’re down in a pit, when they come see us and to help them have their aha moment, that makes me feel good.”