Flowers in her arms and tears in her eyes, Carol Augustine received a tribute worthy of her 20 years of dedicated service at St. Martin de Porres Senior Center in Alexandria last Friday.

Surrounded by the elderly for whom she cares so much, Augustine, who took over as St. Martin’s program director in 1989, retired to spend more time with her family.

“The senior population is so very dear to my heart,” she said. “It’s like being paid to serve God.”

Caring for both her grandmother and her mother gave Augustine insights into the lives of the elderly. Prior to coming to St. Martin, she worked at a low-income housing facility for seniors and with both the Fairfax and Alexandria Agencies on Aging.

St. Martin, which is operated by Catholic Charities, offers seniors 60 years or older — 70 percent of whom live at or below the poverty level — a place for social interaction, health programs and legal services.

During last week’s celebration, nearly 75 of these seniors offered praise and thanks to Augustine.

Pearl McCray of Alexandria described how Augustine had encouraged and inspired her to advocate for seniors on Capitol Hill — to speak for those who may not be able to speak for themselves.

She “helped me help others,” McCray said.

Steve Luteran, director of Catholic Charities, said that Augustine has been a “quiet hero, working with seniors who have next to nothing.

“She reminds me of St. Thérèse, doing those ordinary everyday things, like playing Bingo, serving lunch, exercising, reading, singing, dancing and, yes, crying with the seniors, but with great love,” Luteran said. “Because of Carol, the program resembled more of a ‘family’ than a center serving seniors.”

In an interview last year, Augustine said that she has observed firsthand the impact of the senior center on its participants and has been greatly impacted herself.

“What began as a career in aging has now become much more,” she said. “It’s gratifying to know that you’ve made a difference in the lives of so many lonely people.”