Meet Barb Seaworth!

Meet Barb. Barb has lived in the Rockford area her whole life. She and her husband, Ralph, have been married for over 40 years. They have two adult sons, one of whom made her a “MeMaw!”

Barb works in the human resources department at Milestone, Inc. Barb also holds the distinction of being the volunteer with the longest tenure to date – 16 years! “I met the founder, Dola Gregory, where I worked before (at a local TV station), and once she told me about the kids, I was hooked! I began volunteering at Rock House Kids in 2008, serving with the second-grade kids, but I have worked with all the different grade levels over the years. Now, I am the volunteer puppet team leader, and I enjoy the kids and their enthusiasm for performing in front of an audience!”

When asked if she had a favorite story to share from her time at RHK, Barb said, “I met Eddie when he was about nine or ten years old at RHK. He was very polite and always wanted to help. His mom moved him to another city, but he moved back to Rockford after graduating high school. He met his fiancé here, and I was able to attend their wedding. I have continued a relationship with him, his lovely wife, and their precious baby. I am so happy to see a RHK boy grow up to become a great young man and continue to be a citizen of our community.”

Barb gave this advice to anyone thinking about becoming a volunteer: “It’s a big step to set aside a few hours a week to invest in kids that need to know Jesus. Perhaps serve a meal, help in a classroom, or even go on an outing, but seeing the smiles on kids’ faces is so worth it. They look forward to seeing you every week and know you care about them. You are making a lasting difference in a child’s life – more than you’ll ever know.”