Volunteer Leader: Rachel VonBehren

Board Member, Jones County Community Foundation

  • Hometown: Lifelong Jones County resident
  • Career: Director of Support Services, Administration, Jones Regional Medical Center
  • Board member since: 2019

 

Tell us about yourself! 

I’m a lifelong resident of Jones County. I’ve been employed by Jones Regional Medical Center for 30 years, within finance and administrative roles.  My husband Russ and I also crop farm and raise cattle. We have three children and four grandchildren, all living in Jones County.  I appreciate the opportunity to live close to them all and I especially enjoy viewing the world from the perspective of the grandchildren as they grow.

Volunteering has been a rewarding, life-long activity. In more recent years I have had the opportunity to be serve as a member of the Jones County 4H Youth Committee, Jones County Economic Development, and presently with the Foundation.

 

When and why did you start serving the Foundation board? 

I was looking for a new volunteer activity to engage in. A board member at the time shared with me the mission of the Foundation and how it supports the county. I felt it aligned with my desire to serve and my abilities, and therefore sought the opportunity to fill an opening in 2019. Since becoming a board member, I have learned so much more about the needs of our communities, the various organizations making Jones County a better place, and how philanthropy has been such an integral element to support them.

 

What inspires you to keep serving? 

I have an overwhelming gratitude for the people and organizations of Jones County that make such great efforts to supply basic needs, such as food, beds, and mental and physical health services. So many of these initiatives are implemented by volunteers as well, and I am just so inspired by what they have done and continue to accomplish. I want to be a part of efforts that continue to support these types of organizations. 

 

What’s the most memorable grant awarded or impact made by the Foundation during your tenure? 

The most impactful grants to me personally have been those awarded that have supported children’s development – In particular, Vision to Learn, which provides eye exams and glasses for children. It was incredibly heartwarming to hear what a difference was made in these children’s lives.