Donors: In Their Own Words


When I started giving to charities in 1999, my partner and I chose six charities based on things we cared about. One of those was House of Ruth – the plight of abused women and children is something every woman should consider her own. Eleven years later, we’ve winnowed those charities down to House of Ruth. Why? So many reasons:

 

  • They are effective. They waste no money that I can see (and they haven’t, over the past 10 years) on marketing or giving campaigns, or telemarketing. Each dollar we give goes directly to helping women and children.
  • They have heart. They look every single woman in the eye and tell her they can help – and they deliver. From educational programs that support suffering children to financial programs to teach hopeful women, House of Ruth offers concrete support and guidance.
  • They care about their staff and the women who come to them for help. From remarkably low staff turnover to remarkably high success rates with people in their programs, the DC House of Ruth is a place of peace and new beginnings.

 

I only wish I could give more to the House of Ruth and their important work.

—Elizabeth P. Kiker

I initially supported House of Ruth in honor of my late wife who was a long-time supporter until she passed away. However, I continue to support it because it is a well-run, quality charity that significantly helps better the lives of so many women and families, helping end the cycle of poverty for so many.

 

I'm confident that any support I can lend pays immeasurable dividends for these women and children as well as to society at large.

—Jeremy Throwe

Starting with global warming, followed by wars and economic uncertainty, it seems that there is little that one can positively influence, let alone improve in the world. One simply doesn’t have the knowledge or skill or time to invest. Sometimes others have the knowledge and skill to make those changes, but don’t have the necessary financial resources.

 

Aha! Enter the House of Ruth, where one finds people with knowledge and skill and dedication to make real differences in the lives of those who had little hope of a future of safety and self-reliance. Karen and I don’t have the knowledge or skills, but we have financial resources. And the story comes full circle…we really can positively influence and even improve the world through financial support of the House of Ruth and the people it serves. Cliché time: It doesn’t get much better than that.

—Karen and Dan Michels

What impresses us about House of Ruth is the commitment of the staff to make the lives of its residents better.

 

We support House of Ruth because it’s easy to say, “Give someone a fish and you’ll fee them for a day; teach them to fish and you’ll feed them for a life,” and an entirely different thing to actually go beyond giving a helping hand and teaching others to help themselves and be independent.

 

We’re glad to recommend House of Ruth to friends looking for a great group to support because they do the most good for those who most need their goodness.

—GTG Consulting

I visited a House of Ruth program in Southeast DC in December, 2009. The visit, and getting to know some of the individuals who make up House of Ruth, was a wonderful experience. The visit lasted only a few hours but, in that short time, I was thoroughly impressed by the quality of service House of Ruth provides. Leadership and staff demonstrate a clear focus on specific goals and outcomes, making a concerted effort to administer the program components with fidelity and safeguard a well-defined scope of services.

 

As a result, the organization is able to leverage available resources to ensure each client receives a customized, and comprehensive, array of support services. House of Ruth makes a difference in the lives of DC residents and it’s a privilege for me to be able to give back to the community by supporting their work.

—Julia B. Keleher, Ed.D.

As a former employee, I know the deep commitment House of Ruth has to serving women and children in greatest need in Washington, DC. I have seen first hand how lives have been improved and hope restored by the dedicated staff.

 

Now, more than ever, supporting the essential work of this organization is critical.

—Meryl Hooker