SPRING 2015
The R d Letter
DATES
Kentucky Derby Festival
Marathon/miniMarathon:
4.25.2015
Join Team House of Ruth and
run to support our mission! For
details, see our story on page 3,
visit our Facebook event page or
call us at 587-5080.
Glade Open House:
5.28.2015, 4:30-7 p.m.
STRONGER TOGETHER
2015 brings exciting changes for the
House of Ruth community! Not only
are renovations to Sharon and Chet’s
Café at Glade House complete and in
use (see the full story on page 5), but
transformations have come to our main
office as well. AIDS Interfaith Ministries
(AIM), another member organization
of the Kentuckiana AIDS Alliance, has
moved into our building at 607 E. St.
Catherine Street. This move, including
the relocation of AIM’s offices and food
pantry, streamlines and simplifies client
services all around.
line. This means that receiving critical,
life-sustaining services is “less time
consuming [and] kills a whole lotta birds
with one stone,” says client Sherman
G. It’s “very convenient because you
don’t have to go to this place, that
place,” he says. “I come pick up food,
look at clothes and get my TARC
tickets” all in one stop.
Katie McCarthy, House of Ruth’s
Director of Clinical Services, explains
that the new configuration means less
“losing important time in connecting
people to resources. A walk down the
House of Ruth and AIM each strive to
hall is easier to connect to services than
offer comprehensive, unduplicated social two or three emails, appointment times
services to people living with HIV/
to keep.” Together, House of Ruth and
AIDS in the Louisville area. Because the AIM will bring more people through
two agencies provide unique programs, the front door and reach a critical
a person can be and is oftentimes
mass needing the therapeutic services,
both a House of Ruth and an AIM
groups and programming offered by
client. To combine AIM’s previous two
both agencies. Stay tuned for updates
locations with House of Ruth’s central
on our collaboration! AIDS Interfaith
office location means the removal of
Ministries can be reached at 794-2682
substantial transportation barriers for
or [email protected].
clients, approximately 90% of whom are Photo: Volunteers Dwight Terry and
living at or below the federal poverty
Adrian Hollon staff AIM’s food pantry.
Celebrate the completion of
capital improvements to Glade
House, highlighting our new
kitchen, Sharon and Chet’s Cafe.
Louisville AIDS Walk and
Pet Walk:
9.20.2015
Mark your calendar to walk with
us at the 22nd annual event.
Watch for more details.
Dining Out for Life:
11.18.2015
Dine Out. Fight AIDS. Save the
date!
Support for people to live positive
LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Dearest Friends and Supporters,
Have you ever added up what your household spends each month on
“nonfood” essentials? Things like shampoo, soap, toilet paper, toothpaste,
toothbrushes, shaving cream, disposable razors, and cleaning products? A
few years ago, I did. I was shocked at what my family spends, even given that
my spouse is the Coupon King! I just cannot fathom being a single adult and
eeking out money for toiletries and cleaning products, if I earned only $1,165
each month in federal disability benefits. This is an average amount that our
single clients get. The SNAP program (formerly food stamps) does not cover
any toiletries or cleaning products, only food.
House of Ruth is able to provide an important service by offering toiletries
and cleaning products to our clients. But we have to look to you, our
supporters, to make these products available. In 2014, our friends who make
up the Compassion Committee at the Cathedral of the Assumption came
through in a HUGE way. They held five “Fifth Sunday” product drives, where
they invited the entire congregation to donate a toiletry or cleaning product
on those Sundays. We collected many thousands of items to stock our
toiletry pantry because of their efforts. The Fifth Sunday drive made a world
of difference to so many households. One of them is Eddie’s. He and his four
children were able to avoid the “two sheets of TP at a time” rule and always
had shampoo or soap, never going without, thanks to the diligent efforts of
the Compassion Committee and others. They included UPS, Louisville Metro
Housing Authority and WellCare.
Cathedral of the Assumption Compassion Committee members deliver toiletries to House of Ruth.
BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
Brian Wigginton GE
Chair
Chuck McIntire UPS
Vice Chair
Tony Schmuckie Brown-Forman
Secretary
Kevin Childress Ameriprise Financial Services
Treasurer
Libby Burks-Weathers
Toni Carver-Smith Presbyterian Church (USA)
Chris Eichenberger
Beverly Hall
Mike Huttenlocher UPS
L’tonya Leavell
J.P. Palmer Ford Motor Company
Justin Preece Fifth Third Bank
Stacey Robinson Kentucky Derby Festival
Elizabeth Scott WellCare
Missy Vitale Deyta, LLC
Jill Wilcox PNC Bank
Lisa Sutton
Executive Director
You can keep our toiletries stocked AND support us financially through
AmazonSmile. You can order a giant pack of toilet paper on Amazon.com
and have it shipped directly to us, while Amazon gives a percentage of your
payment to assist House of Ruth. It’s a win-win! Go to smile.amazon.com to
sign up. For our up-to-date donation wish list, visit the “Get Involved” section
of our website. Currently our cupboards are low on men’s deodorant, tissues,
small bottles of laundry detergent, and bleach. As always, thank you for your
incredible generosity.
Lisa Sutton
Now you can donate to House of Ruth
when you shop at Kroger and
Amazon.com! Designate House of Ruth as
your Kroger Community Rewards recipient
and AmazonSmile charity! Both stores will
generously donate a portion of your purchase.
Links to both can be found at
www.houseofruth.net under “Get Involved.” Feel
free to call us at 587-5080 with any questions.
2015 KDF MARATHON/MINIMARATHON
Join Team House of Ruth in the 2015 Kentucky Derby
Festival Marathon/miniMarathon on April 25!
For the third year House of Ruth is participating in the
Kentucky Derby Festival marathon/miniMarathon. You can
get in on the fun by joining Team House of Ruth and help
raise funds and awareness. As a fundraising team member,
you can run or walk the miniMarathon, run the full
Marathon, or join our Marathon relay running team. Fundraising is simple and easy and can all be done on-line! Being
a Team House of Ruth member even comes with some great
perks.
• Registration fee for any individual walker or runner who raises $200 or more will be reimbursed
• Registration fee for any relay team member who raises $100 or more will be reimbursed
• Team House of Ruth running shirt for any team member who raises at least $300
• More surprises to come!
BACK-TO-SCHOOL SUCCESS
To join Team House of Ruth, visit www.active.com/
donate/teamHOR. For more information, call our
Director of Development, Katrina Hutchins, at 587-5080 x23.
Clay Leddin is a 17-year-old junior at Christian Academy of
Louisville and a local back-to-school hero. Inspired by a
previous service project completed with his sister, Alex, Clay
took on leading the Middletown Christian Church
backpack campaign. A long-term program of the
congregation, the campaign was established to “fill a unique
niche to easily, directly impact the life of a child in Louisville,”
Clay explains. Under his direction, the backpack campaign has
grown exponentially, and in August 2014, provided House of
Ruth with close to 100 backpacks, each filled with new school
supplies. The donated backpacks were then distributed at our
annual Back-to-School Send-Off, a program designed to
prepare our children for the start of a succesful school year.
We salute Clay for his leadership and philanthropy which have
no doubt improved countless lives both inside and outside of
the House of Ruth community!
If you would like to become involved in our Back-to-School
Send-Off or other family programming events, please call our
Volunteer/Communications Manager, Kate Davidson, at
587-5080 x20.
Clay Leddin (above) and the backpacks donated by
Middletown Christian Church through their backpack
campaign (left).
DONOR ROLL
A heartfelt thank you to the following donors who contributed to House of Ruth from July 1, 2014 through December 31, 2014.
For a complete list, please visit www.houseofruth.net.
$50,000+
James B. and Betty Oetken
Larry and Louise Michalczyk
J.P. Palmer and James Chappell
Lisa Osanka
James Graham Brown Foundation, Inc.*
Stefanie Perri and Carin Veech
Louis Philpott
$10,000 - $49,999
Jeff Perry
Justin Preece
Irvin F. & Alice S. Etscorn Charitable Foundation
Joe Poe
Mr. and Mrs. Robert R. Raible
Louisville Metro Government
Powered with Pride
Deborah Rattle
M.A.C. AIDS Fund
Raytheon Community Action
Regent Investment Management
Stacey Robinson
John Reisert
$2,500 - $9,999
Denise M. Robison
Steve and Linda Rickert
Mike Huttenlocher
Rocky’s Italian Grill
Bernie Roke
Kosair Charities Committee, Inc
The Comfy Cow
Todd Roman
Mildred V. Horn Foundation
Paula Schanding
Robert Westwood and George Garcia*
$100 - $249
Tony Schmuckie
The Cralle Foundation
John Age
Curtis and Elizabeth Schuman
Debra Ahjuder
$1,000 - $2,499
Elizabeth Scott
Chris Allen
Ameriprise Financial Services
Michelle Seiffertt
Anonymous
Meredith Brown
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Serdenis
Anonymous
Come Back Inn
Donald Shelton
House of Ruth’s surviving founders
Derby City Bears
Ruth Sickbert
Sharan Benton
Derby City Sisters
John Sistarenik, Jr.
Betty Blandford
Idemitsu
Craig Spears
Sharon Cook
L & N Federal Credit Union
W. Patrick Stallard
Sharon Gray
Tim McClure
Robert and Mary Ann Stenger
Rebecca Miles
O’Shea’s Irish Pub
David Taylor
& friend
Passport Health Plan
Rod Thomas
Sr. Miriam Frenke
Play Louisville
Estela Valdez
Michael Berry
Porcini
Joe and Judy Vicars
Linda Block-Coalter
Lisa Sutton and Richard Tewksbury
Missy Vitale
Bruce and Donna Bohn
Tennis Alliance of Louisville
Whitney Vogel
Norman Borho
The Cafe
Joseph H.Voor
Johanna Bos
The Irish Rover
Barry Walker and Karen Britt-Walker
Joan Brennan
Uptown Cafe
Clarence Weathers and Libby Burks-Weathers
Carol Burke
Jim Welding
$500 - $999
Leon Butler
Rowdy Whitworth
21C Louisville LLC
Joseph Cagle
Brian Wigginton and David Carney
Bingham Greenebaum Doll LLP
Calvin Mitchell Salon
Michael Wilhelmus
Blue Dog Bakery And Cafe LLC
Tara Carpenter
Doris Bridgeman
Mary Casey
Honorary Gifts
Buckhead Mountain Grill
Cast Iron Steak House LLC
In honor of The Atha Family
“
Caesar’s Entertainment Operating Co.
Cast Iron Steakhouse II LLC
Chip and Pif Hicks
Brad Calobrace
Jack Chivatero
In honor of The Bass Family
Chevron Matching Employee Funds
Austin Clark
Chip and Pif Hicks
Chill Bar
Maureen Connelly
Decca
Bonnie Cress
In honor of The English Family
El Mundo
Kate Davidson and Courtney Hoekstra
Chip and Pif Hicks
EyeMed Vision Care
Deborah Davies
In honor of Kevin Childress and Jeffrey Franklin
Flaget Alumni Association
Theresa Dever
Barry Walker and Karen Britt-Walker
Flanagan’s Ale House
Mark England
Garage Bar
Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund
In honor of Kate Davidson
GE Foundation
JoAnn Foster
Christopher Vaughan
Bernadette Hagan and Donald W. Coffman
Charles Fugate
In honor of Les Downs
Jack Fry’s
Diane Garner Laughlin and Charles Neill
Austin Clark
Kentucky Derby Festival
Michael Gatton
Lawrence Lambert
Don Glaser
In honor of Dawn Jenkins
Le Relais Restaurant
Joseph Graffis
Mary Louise Cambron
Philip Lynch
Robert Gray
In honor of Joyce Louden
Scott Meyer
Steven Greenleaf
Harlan and Ann Beckemeyer
Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Esterle*
Ted and Martha Groene
Mr. and Mrs. George Haarman
Gwendolyn Hartmann
In honor of J.P. Palmer and James Chappell
Ramsi’s Cafe on the World
Curtis Hawkes and David Bartley
Lee and Nina Luvisi
Megan Reid
Charles Hickey and Mary Anne Wooten
Memorial Gifts
Ronald McDonald House Charities
Chip and Pif Hicks
In memory of My Mother
Simply Thai
William and Betsy Holton
Spencer and Carol Harper
The Underwriters Group
Tim Holz
Theater Square Marketplace
Hollie Hopkins
In memory of Robert Bird
Kim Wadlington
Chris Hungerford
Mr. and Mrs. H.G. Bird
Tim Whelan
Eric Hunstiger
In memory of Bryant F.
John and JoAnn Hutchins
$250-$499
Donald Schuman
Katrina Hutchins
Anonymous
Mike and Cathy Johnson
In memory of Theresa (Willow) Gordon
Bank of America
E. Patrick Kelly
Norman Borho
Mr. and Mrs. Steven Brehm
Charles Koser
Buck’s Restaurant
In memory of Riley Jane Lawrence
Edward J. Kruger, Jr.
Kevin Childress and Jeffrey Franklin
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Serdenis
Lori Kunzler
Jennifer Davidson
David Lambertus
In memory of J. Carlton Powers
Mary Eaves
Brian Maddox
Deborah Rattle
Donald and Virginia Edelen
Eva Markham
Goose Creek Diner
In memory of Grant Sickbert
Steven Mattas
Kenny and Amy Hilpp*
William and Betsy Holton
Chuck McIntire
Kroger
Michael McLaughlin
In memory of Marilyn Spink (founder)
Robert Laufer
Mike Meinze
James Thornberry
Michael Mawood and Steve Zocklein
Joyce Meyer
Meridian Cafe
In memory of Joseph Vest
All Saints Church
*Supporter of Sharon and Chet’s Cafe, the new Glade House kitchen
Please notify us and accept our apology for any omissions.
One
for
All
A nonprofit thrift
shop to benefit
House of Ruth
Open
Wed - Sat
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
502-451-1963
1975 Douglass Blvd.
in the Highlands
SHARON AND CHET’S CAFÉ AT GLADE HOUSE
In 2013, two generous donors started The Fund for
Sharon and Chet’s Café for kitchen renovations at
Glade House, our transitional and emergency shelter facility. Robert Westwood and Kenny Hilpp
started this fund to memorialize Sharon
Westwood, Robert’s sister and Kenny’s mother, and
Chet Gatlin, Sharon’s neighbor and Robert’s friend.
The scope of work quickly grew to include capital
improvements to update both the interior and
exterior of the house. With Robert and Kenny
spearheading the fundraising, we were able to raise
the additional funds needed through individual
donors and foundation support, including the Irvin
F. & Alice S. Etscorn Charitable Foundation
and James Graham Brown Foundation.
Work started in the fall of 2014 and includes
tuckpointing, new siding, replacement windows
and doors, the construction of a covered porch
and much more. Interior updates include bathroom renovations, new paint and resurfaced floors
Director of Clinical Services, Katie McCarthy, and Robert
Westwood prepare a meal for residents in the new
Sharon and Chet’s Café.
The completed Sharon and Chet’s Café, a place
where residents can come together for meals and
community time.
throughout. All renovations are focused on
making the house safe and comfortable for
residents and insuring the house will be in top
shape for many years.
The heart of the project is the completely
renovated kitchen, aptly named Sharon and Chet’s
Café. Once a small, dark, outdated room, the
kitchen is now a light and bright gathering place for
residents. Every surface of the room was
renovated in some way. Walls, floors and ceilings
were all resurfaced. Stainless steel, commercial
grade appliances and countertops help create
useable, durable work space which was severely
lacking in the old kitchen. Now the kitchen is large
enough to seat all 12 residents and stands as a
wonderful memorial for Sharon and Chet.
House of Ruth will be celebrating the completion
of all the capital improvements to Glade House
with an Open House on Thursday, May 28, 4:30 to
7 p.m. All are welcome.
The Glade House kitchen in 2013, before
renovations began.
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
607 E. St. Catherine St.
Louisville, KY 40203
PAID
PERMIT NO. 1811
LOUISVILLE, KY
Phone: 502.587.5080
Fax: 502.587.5009
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Our Mission
House of Ruth is a nonprofit organization
that strengthens lives for those with or
affected by HIV/AIDS.
ACCREDITED
BUSINESS
®
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
On December 20, 2014, the Derby City Bears
partnered with the Derby City Sisters to host a
Holiday Extravaganza at Play Louisville benefitting
House of Ruth. Together, the two groups raised over
$2,200 during the event which also featured The
Louisville Gay Men’s Chorus, Pandora Productions, and
the Blue Moon Circus. We are grateful to have the
groups’ ongoing support!
Encouraged by her dear friend Martha York, Rita
Safranek began baking for House of Ruth to practice
her culinary skills. Almost 20 years later, Rita has
won state and national awards for her cooking and
continues to donate her time, resources, and talents to
benefit those living with HIV/AIDS in Kentuckiana. Her
incredible pies (pictured above) are a favorite at our
annual Harvest Dinner. We thank you, Rita, for your
continued love and dedication to our community!