16: John Rush

Retired Chaplain, Mennonite Church

John L. Rush is a retired chaplain, ordained in the Mennonite Church. Much of his career was spent serving in prisons, and he still continues in his work advocating for the rights and wellbeing of inmates. As an official visitor of the PA Prison Society, he interviews inmates in the system and reports any abuse he encounters. John also volunteers with the elderly, at halfway houses, and builds picnic tables in his spare time. He sells the tables and donates the proceeds every year to various charitable organizations. 

Fortunately, John was able to continue his work within the prisons during the pandemic by taking proper sanitation, distancing, and masking precautions. He was happy to do so, as he has known at least a dozen people, both young and old, who contracted COVID, one of whom died. His wife was also incredibly cautious and worried because two of her sisters also got COVID. 

The pandemic has made John’s volunteer work more difficult, but all the more necessary. And while it has been a devastating moment in history, he takes some comfort in having found some silver linings. John and his wife were able to spend a lot more time with their grandchildren than they otherwise would have, and he was able to learn to use technology to stay in contact with the people important to him.  In the future, John hopes that society will be able to become less polarized and focus more on listening to others. He hopes for the continued health and wellbeing of his family and to be able to continue volunteering and helping others.