Member Spotlight

Rebekkah Whelan is the Manager of Volunteer Services at Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging. Rebekkah joined FVA in July of this year. She joined because she feels that FVA offers great networking opportunities and field expertise to help her grow as a professional and enhance her organizations’ volunteer experiences.

Rebekkah enjoys hearing about the amazing ways Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging’s volunteers impact client’s lives. Volunteers help to make wellness calls to older adults, assist with activities at the senior centers and help deliver home meals. Rebekkah loves how heart warming it is to hear from clients who have been impacted by volunteer efforts. She enjoys seeing those relationships develop and loves hearing stories that she can share with other volunteers on how people have been touched by the volunteer programs. Rebekkah believes that a successful volunteer is someone who feels connected to the work they are doing. Whether they volunteer for an hour a day, a week or a year, they all make an impact on the community and are a great marker of success for the organization.

When asked to share advice with someone interested in pursuing volunteer management, Rebekkah says, “Be patient. I once heard someone say that ‘managing volunteers is like herding kittens’ and I think I live by that motto! Volunteers are fun and bring lots of joy, but it can be difficult to get volunteers together and focus on where they need to be. Make sure to also enjoy the good of it all!” Rebekkah also shares that she finds it important to bring your enthusiasm every day. The clients that Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging interacts with depend on the volunteers to bring joy into their lives and can be the main interaction that person has with someone that day. Each interaction matters and bringing your passion for helping others is contagious to the organization’s client base.

In her spare time, Rebekkah is an avid roller coaster enthusiast! She loves to ride them, learn who built them and research the history of a ride or of a park. The next place on her travel bucket list is Japan! She is traveling there this year to see some of the major cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. It will serve as her delayed honeymoon due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Rebekkah, we wish you safe and happy travels! Thank you for all you do for the volunteers at Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging.

To learn more about volunteering with Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging, visit https://benrose.org/volunteer.

Organization Spotlight

Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging

Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging is an over 110-year old Cleveland-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to support caregivers and empower all people to age well through research, consumer-responsive services and client advocacy. The organization provides in-person and telephone-based health and wellness services in older adults’ homes and in communities across the Greater Cleveland area. They also conduct research studies related to everyday issues faced by older people and their families. They use that knowledge to develop innovative solutions. They also foster informed engagement with public policy issues impacting the field of aging.

Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging reaches more than 10,000 older adults and caregivers annually in their homes, at community locations and by phone and email. They develop knowledge used to improve health and community services related to key issues in aging, such as family caregiving and elder abuse and demonstrate the effectiveness of drug-free programs for managing chronic diseases. To learn more about the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging, please visit https://benrose.org/home.