Meet Donna Jones, our Mest Manor world traveler. Donna was born, and raised here in      Savanna, IL. She is the middle child of her family, as she has an older brother (deceased), and a younger sister.

During high school, she worked at the Savanna Army Depot Civilian Personnel Office. It was there, that she met her future husband. As he was military and was stationed every few years at different Army military bases, she had the opportunity to travel to, and live in a few different states, as well as, overseas. It began with a move to South Carolina, then off to Germany, to Texas, back to Germany, and lastly North Carolina.

After military life, Donna moved to Virginia for a few years. In 2013, Donna headed back to Savanna to be near her mother. We are extremely happy and fortunate, that upon her return, Donna chose Mest Manor as her new home.

Donna is an extremely proud mother of three children (two sons, and one daughter), and twelve grandchildren. She especially enjoys making Easter baskets, and baking cookies at the holidays for all of her grandchildren. It brings her the utmost joy!

Donna’s other hobbies include riding her bike, dancing, shopping, watching old movies/TV programs (Perry Mason, Leave It To Beaver, westerns, etc.), sending special occasion cards to family and friends, word search puzzles, and traveling. She has vacationed in the Bahamas, Jamaica, and even taken a Exotic Southern Caribbean cruise that included Grand Turk,
La Romana, Curacao, and Aruba. In addition, she traveled to Las Vegas to celebrate her 65th birthday! Donna’ s ultimate goal in life is to put a smile on the face of each and every person she meets.

NOTE: Savannah Jones, Donna’s mother, was a Mest Manor resident for twenty-one (21) years, prior to her move to Allure of Mt. Carroll in August 2016. Last November, Savannah celebrated her 100th birthday.

Last week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) made an announcement that the guidelines for wearing masks in the COVID-19 pandemic was changing. Instead of the guidance which we have grown accustomed to over the past year, which dictated that masks were to be worn at nearly any time when we were around people not a part of our household, the CDC is now saying that vaccinated individuals don’t have to wear the mask in nearly any instance.  In fact, aside from a few exceptions, vaccinated individuals can essentially not wear masks at all now.

Thus, as we follow CDC guidelines here at Carroll County Housing Authority (CCHA) we will no longer require masks be worn upon entry into our Mest Manor building.  In addition, we have brought back our monthly Bingo game, as well as, our weekly Saturday tenant luncheons at Mest Manor.

Although we are loosening the reins to transition to a new and improved normal, CCHA continues to encourage social distancing, and will provide hand sanitizer throughout our Mest Manor building, and Maple Lane Community Room.

Really, for the next few weeks and months, it’s going to be a matter of common sense and common courtesy when deciding whether to wear a mask when you are using the common areas at Mest Manor & Maple Lane (community rooms, laundry rooms, dining room, etc.)

If you are not vaccinated, then you should be wearing your mask.  It’s that simple.  If you are vaccinated, however, feel free to go without the mask (your own personal discretion.)

Again, it will require for just a bit longer, that we all pay attention to the concerns of those around us.  We’re nearing the end of this.  Let’s continue to do the right things so that we come out of this better than we went in.