Staff photo by Troy Stolt / Becky Whelchel poses for a portrait at the Impact Hub where MetMin and several other nonprofits share office space.At the end of each work email Becky Whelchel sends is a quote that not only characterizes her work but also her decision to leave it: “In the end, the only things worth doing are the things that might possibly break your heart. Rage on.” – Colum McCann
In 2006, Whelchel, a classically trained pianist and conductor, fortuitously wandered into what was supposed to be a part-time job with MetMin Ministries. Born of a local church outreach in 1979, the registered 501(c)(3) stands in the gap for those struggling to make ends meet, offering direct and indirect assistance to help keep locals housed and fed.
In March, Whelchel will vacate the executive director’s chair and start a new chapter.
The 63-year-old has spent the past decade and a half meeting people where they are and walking alongside them. She’s found common ground with mental health patients; intervened on behalf of families about to be forced from their homes; paid overdue electric bills to keep seniors warm.
She’s also helped shepherd the nonprofit through a pandemic, as well as a move and a new model that put an assortment of complementary assistance providers under one roof at what is known as the Impact Hub.