Volunteer Spotlight: Ruth-Ellen and Ken Mason

It is an honor to announce that this month’s Volunteers of the Month are Ruth-Ellen and Ken Mason. The married couple became interested in AARP after attending an event that was announced in the Union Leader in March 2013. Held at the Puritan Backroom in Manchester, the guest speaker was Dick Umile, a Men’s Hockey coach for UNH. It was at this event that Ruth-Ellen and Ken realized the scope of AARP and they began to volunteer shortly thereafter.

Ruth-Ellen works fulltime at a Call Center as a Customer Service Representative. Her professional background is in fundraising and for a couple years, she also taught Bible, English and History classes at a middle school. Much of Ken’s professional background was selling “big systems to big companies for big dollars,” working in the semiconductor industry. He now works in Sales and Marketing.

Most of all, Ruth-Ellen and Ken became involved with AARP because it was something they could do together. And in the last few years, they have been involved with many events and activities, including Movies for Grown-Ups, the Take-a-Stand campaign, tabling at wine tasting and sporting events plus advocacy with Service Link. One particularly meaningful activity was their involvement in the AARP Foundation's Drive to End Hunger race in September 2014.

According to Ken, the couple has “the gift of schmooze” with their outgoing personalities and their enthusiasm for speaking to new people. Through volunteering, Ruth-Ellen gains a sense of accomplishment while Ken enjoys a sense of involvement by engaging with problems and issues. In addition to being able to select the depth of involvement, Ken says that they appreciate the professionalism of AARP and the fact that AARP is an organization that “exercises gratitude.” Regarding advice they would give to someone who’s interested in volunteering with AARP, Ruth-Ellen says “there’s always something to find to do in your wheelhouse.” Both note that there are a wide variety of activities and opportunities to get involved with.

Ruth-Ellen and Ken have 3 daughters and 6 grandchildren. They stay active in their community and with church. Ruth-Ellen is also involved with programming and events through New Hampshire Public Broadcast, having written copy for their annual Spring Auction and having served as the BritWit club ambassador. She was also involved with the “Aging in the Granite State” program, a joint series between AARP and New Hampshire Public Broadcast. For the “Over the Edge” Fundraiser, Ruth-Ellen rappelled the 24 stories of the Brady Sullivan building. The Volunteer Spotlight is a way to recognize the unique backgrounds and contributions of AARP volunteers. It’s a great pleasure to feature Ruth-Ellen and Ken for Volunteer Spotlight!