Volunteer of the Month: Karen Rush

Volunteerism IS Karen!

We at Graceland Center for Purposeful Aging are indebted to Karen Rush for her dedicated service to our programming. Karen is the warm welcome that greets our participants as they register. She takes responsibility for helping to set up refreshments and table decorations and to put everything away week after week, and always with a patient smile. We want to thank Karen for her outstanding support of our mission to create a senior center for Peoria! We asked Karen why she volunteers with Graceland Center. Here’s her response:

Being a Senior and living alone, I found Graceland to become an important part of my life.  I knew right away that I wanted to be part of this organization and to help make a difference in our members’ daily lives.  To see them come in with smiles and make each other laugh is awesome!  We all share childhood experiences which bring back those memories to each of us in their own way.  We want to celebrate ourselves and what we have contributed to society.  Being a volunteer has made me realize that we all matter in this world.  I have met so many interesting people and we have become the Graceland family.  We are home with family on meeting days.  Outside of Graceland, I am a member of the Peoria Women’s Club (Finance Committee and Social Committee).  I also am a quilter and belong to Gems of the Prairie Quilt Guild and Prairie Points Quilt Club.  I love to make quilts for our charity organizations and especially for Quilts of Valor.  I still work a couple days a week as a bookkeeper.  I also like to walk 3 - 4 days week while listening to audio books.  I have found that it is best to keep busy and keep the body and mind active!