001 Bio as of March 2012

Mary C. Ruth and William J. Ruth

The Ruths, since 2003, have served as volunteers through the national United Church of Christ (UCC), Volunteer Ministries Office, located in Cleveland. The program is called “Partners in Service” and it allows church members like the Ruths to donate their career skills in retirement.

They began their volunteer service in January 2003 with a ‘first assignment’ at Menaul School (a Presbyterian affiliated agency) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Mary and Bill each volunteered 35 hours a week – Mary in the development office and Bill tutored students and assisted in the business office. Living in the Southwest provided them with many opportunities to explore the area, become active in the Church of the Good Shepherd UCC, and absorb the culture.

Blowing Rock Conference Center, a UCC affiliated agency in the mountains of North Carolina, was their second assignment (June 2004 to June 2005) where they worked with its Executive Director on various projects that brought the facility to an even higher level of service.  Mary concentrated on guest services and email development/promotion while Bill served as concierge and assisted with painting projects that enhanced the overall visual appeal of the site.

Their third volunteer service location (Aug 2005-Jul 2006) was at a Learning Center affiliated with Heifer Project International, in Perryville, Arkansas.  They lived at Heifer Ranch (1200 acres) with about 50 age-diverse volunteers. Bill assisted the education department by leading tours for visitors, facilitated global village experiences for youth and did some ranch chores.  Mary devoted her energy to a busy office position as Ranch Events Assistant where she handled telephone calls, sent promotional emails concerning various programs and utilized a customized computer database for reservations.

In September 2006 the Ruths began serving a nine month assignment as pioneering UCC Partners in Service volunteers at the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) in Atlanta.  Mary volunteered with the Institutional Advancement department where she mentored a new alumni relations director and created an extensive email communication system. Bill volunteered with the Admissions department and also devoted considerable effort to convert institutional advancement data to a new database. They experienced living and working as a minority, expanded their knowledge of the civil rights movement and also enjoyed an affiliation with First Congregational Church UCC in Atlanta.

In June 2007 in Hartford CT at the UCC General Synod 26 the Ruths received an award of affirmation at the Wider Church Ministries Global Ministries International Dinner for their “commitment to service in diverse settings as Partners in Service volunteers and for fostering connections with local churches”.

Their fifth assignment was at Montreat Conference Center in Montreat, NC, where Mary helped out in the development office and Bill did special projects for the president in facilities study and human resources.  They served during the fall season of 2007.

Mary and Bill’s 6th volunteer ministry assignment was for 9 months (Feb-Nov 2008) in Cleveland, Ohio. They served at the United Church of Christ (UCC) National Setting located at Church House, 700 Prospect Ave E.  Their projects revolved around computer database work, friend-raising emails and phone calls, numerous staff interviews and writing a 75 page best practices Raisers Edge computer manual. While in Cleveland they were actively involved at West Park UCC.

Silver Lake Conference Center in Sharon, CT, is where they volunteered for 8 months beginning mid March 2009. This site is where Mary attended church camp and did an Elon College internship there in the 1960′s.  In the 1980′s each of their children attended this UCC camp and both Mary and Bill served as camp counselors.  Their recent volunteer duties revolved around friend-raising with Silver Lake alumni, some light maintenance work, creating a maintenance inventory database, some speaking engagements and general support of the SLCC directors.  Visit http://silverlakect.org/ to learn more.  

In 2010 the Ruths volunteered for 4 months at Franklinton Center at Bricks in Whitakers NC.  Their service included creating a database, producing a newsletter, painting the pool house, reviewing insurance coverage, communicating with constituents on email and greeting and meeting guests at the retreat and conference center.  The remote location, unique style of operation, strong cultural diversity and a rich history made this assignment particularly challenging. The work Mary and Bill accomplished poised the organization for new leadership in 2011.

Slumber Falls Camp and Retreat Center in New Braunfels, Texas, was their 2011 volunteer assignment for the months of January, February and March where Bill worked on a computer project designed by current staff and Mary learned how to use ‘ratepoint’ to communicate with camp constituents.  A benefit to the experience was being located only 4 hours from their daughter, Cindi, and family.  Also,while in Texas, their AFS ‘daughter’, Susy, came to visit for a week from Nicaragua with her 2 sons.

During the summer of 2011, Mary and Bill volunteered at Uplands Retirement Center, Pleasant Hill TN, in their marketing and communication department.  And since then Mary has been their ‘volunteer’ Volunteer Coordinator. 

In January 2012, Mary and Bill returned to Slumber Falls in TX for a 10 week volunteer assignment and ‘picked up where they left off’ the previous year.  For the first time the Ruths returned to an assignment sight and discovered the ‘learning curve’ to be much simpler than all previous volunteer placements.

Bill grew up in New Jersey and entered Elon College, where he met Mary in the marching band. They were married after graduation in 1966. Bill served 4 years in the Air Force and then worked for Travelers Insurance Company in Hartford, CT, for 22 years. In 1990, the Ruths relocated to North Carolina where Bill taught adult literacy at Alamance Community College and managed a lab to teach computer skills to employees of Burlington Industries.Mary was born and raised in Connecticut. Some of Mary’s most memorable experiences include founding a nursery school, working in Mission and Stewardship for the UCC Connecticut Conference, being ‘called’ by Allied Churches of Alamance County in Burlington, NC, to direct an emergency night shelter and soup kitchen, writing a book titled “I Believe in Angels” and being employed (1995-2002) by Elon University as Director of Alumni and Parent Relations.

The Ruths lived in Hebron, CT, for 20 years, in the Elon NC area for 20 years and as of August 1, 2010, their permanent address is at Uplands Village in Pleasant Hill TN. (PO Box 295, Pleasant Hill TN 38578)  Mary and Bill have 2 grown children (Cindi and David) and 5 grandchildren: Sawyer, Brynne and Luke in TX, and Ashley and Drew in NC.

The Ruths remain open to  short term volunteer possibilities in the future and hope others will consider volunteer ministry service.

end