Molly PavlovichGiving has always been a part of John Rabenstein’s life—from his earliest to his most recent memories.
When he was just five years old, he remembers his brother, Kenneth, waking up in the middle of the night with severe symptoms of appendicitis. Ken was rushed to the hospital and was fortunate to make a full recovery. That was a turning point in his house, John said, and attending church became a several-times-a-week occurrence from then on.
“After my parents became Christians, we started giving, even when we as a family of four were living on a meager $10 to $12 a week salary,” John said. “My parents were also firm believers in the message of Matthew 6:3-4. ’When you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.’ So giving wasn’t something we spoke about. It was just something we did.”
Carrying with him the humble heart and morals upon which his parents raised him, John too doesn’t often give and tell. However, he shares now with the hope to inspire others to look beyond themselves for ways, big and small, to bless others.
John and his wife, Betty, moved to Messiah Lifeways at Messiah Village from Connecticut in the early 2000s to have access to the continuum of care after Betty had her first stroke. The quality of care, coupled with the opportunities to continue to live vibrantly through clubs, activities, and other forms of growth and leisure is what led them to choose here.
Betty passed away in 2004 following a major stroke and living in honor of his extroverted wife who always enjoyed volunteering and engaging with communities, 94-year-old John has aspired to remain active and involved on campus—over the years helping with the Messiah Village Residents’ Council, Auxiliary, and fundraising campaigns.
Before moving to Messiah Village, John and Betty lived up and down the northern east coast—from various parts of Pennsylvania to West Virginia and Connecticut—all the while deepening their hearts for
serving others. During this time, John earned degrees in psychology, elementary education, speech therapy, and audiology, for which he put to work as a speech therapist for a public school, later working with older adults with mental health needs, and teaching special education and rehabilitation at the University of Connecticut for 25 years. Together, John and Betty also spent many of their years helping build and plant churches in local communities.
“We lived a good life,” John said.
When John learned last year that Messiah Lifeways was pursuing a partnership with Central Penn College to provide continued dementia education to team members—particularly those working in memory care neighborhoods—he felt compelled to contribute to the cause.
“My whole life’s emphasis was on helping people with disabilities and aging,” John said. “Part of the incoming training is mental illness and dementia, and mental health is such an important part of living a normal life. I endorse it 100 percent, and I’m glad we’re talking about it—pioneering and making progress.”
A sweet symbol of his financial support and deep personal connection to this initiative, when the first group of team members completed their training, earning their dementia practitioner certifications, John handed each graduate a carnation. This interaction alone, and the subsequent smile shared between two people—resident and team member—who are both invested in adding meaning and value to the lives of others, encapsulates the universal power of giving that has long radiated in John.
“I’ll keep giving for as long as I’m able,” he said. “It’s a small way to give back what God has given to us.”
