Ruth was an educator in the New York City Public School System for more than 20 years - teaching both students and teachers and running a Teacher Resource Center to support everyone’s growth.
Since retirement from the Board of Education, she has been singing in three choirs, all dedicated to bringing comfort and uplift through music to those in shelters, food pantries, psych wards, senior centers, hospice, and a catholic church. She tutors public school children learning to read and has worked regularly with immigrants learning English.
Ruth and her husband, Julian, have been very involved with Fonkoze, a microcredit bank in Haiti, for over twenty years. They were early supporters as Anne Hastings and Father Joseph grew it from one hopeful branch to a thriving network of 47 branches throughout Haiti. It has been a source of inspiration and hope to see the many ways an organization can overcome so many hurdles to reach out and change the lives of the poor. It has been a privilege to support this growth and to have made many friends in Haiti through numerous visits. Strong Haitian leadership has led much of this transformation. Attending Board meetings over a twenty year period makes the growth very tangible as new initiatives continue to strengthen the organization and as a Microfinance License is finally procured!