By DAISY WASHINGTON / Community Columnist

Seventy-four-year-old Lillian Jones’s personal story about finding love and acceptance through adoption began in 1944.

After the couple adopted Lillian, time with the father that lavished her with affection and material things was cut short when he passed away after just two years.

Lillian and her mom went on to experience the wonder of a life filled with love.

She learned to be objective and unbiased from her Jewish mother.

She developed concern and compassion for those faced with challenges and that need support to assist them through difficult times.

This experience is the driving force behind Lillian’s commitment to Sav-a-Life’s pregnancy care ministry through The Pregnancy Center.

Since 2006, each week she has donated four hours of her time as an office receptionist.

“I feel that God wants me to help others.” Lillian said. “My biological mother could have aborted me. This is my way of giving back. I feel God wants me to help others in this way. I am the person I am today because of my adopted mother.”

Although she is void of possessing a green thumb to any degree, for the past 12 years, she has been a greeter and answers the phone at Aldridge Botanical Gardens.

“I cannot grow plants or flowers,” she states emphatically, waving her arms.

As the spouse of a Vietnam veteran, she is a member of the Marine Corps League.

For the past 15 years Lillian has participated in fundraising projects to support Three Hots and a Cot which provides housing (lodging and showers, laundry, clothes closet), meals, counseling (24/7 staff support), medical, dental and job placement services to Birmingham homeless veterans.

A regular attendee of the monthly meetings, Lillian is in charge of the meeting sign-in.

Over her 39-year-career with Southern Bell, Lillian performed as a clown with the company’s charity organization, Telephone Pioneers.

The group worked children’s charities to raise funds and entertain the children in medical facilities.

The Covington, Kentucky native has been a member of Heardmont Senior Center for the past 17 years and is a regular at the dance held the first Thursday of each month. She has taken on the job of setting up for the Line Dance in which she organizes tables and chairs, decorates the tables.

She also assists to make sure there is enough food and brings a covered dish to each event.