Western Missouri/Greater Kansas City Chapter
Jeff Berry
Volunteer Spotlight
When he stopped by the chapter office to drop off funds that he had raised as a Jingle Bell Run fundraiser a little more than a year ago, Jeff Berry never guessed that he would be recognized as one of two top new chapter volunteers less than twelve months later . He also never dreamed that he would get so involved in so many ways with the chapter in support of its mission. “Jeff fit the mold of what we look for in a volunteer leader – lots of enthusiasm and a willingness to dive in with both feet,” said Brad Ziegler, Chapter President.
Since that first visit to the chapter office, Jeff has joined the Chapter Board of Directors, has served as an Arthritis Walk team captain for his employer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, volunteered at the Greek Food Festival, served as a table captain for the annual Commitment to a Cure breakfast and worked as a member of the Jingle Bell Run planning committee, where he was the top the individual fundraiser. “It has been fun to see how much I could raise and how many people I could get involved in the chapter’s different events.” Berry shared. “I really never thought of myself as a fundraiser, but there are so many ways to get involved and make an impact on the chapter.”
Jeff has also learned a lot about the programs and services that the chapter offers to people with arthritis. While he understood that the chapter was pursuing an aggressive plan of program delivery, it has only been recently that he understood all the different services that are available to people with arthritis. “I feel good that the money I have raised is being put to good use and I have seen up close how efficient the chapter staff is in implementing those programs,” Berry observed. “I hope to help to expand their reach as we seek new partners to help deliver these programs in the future.”
