Ruby's Pearl

By Terri Conlin

Ruby’s life work is connecting the poor with resources and support. She has been a caseworker for various social agencies over the past decade, visiting migrant camps, conducting home visits to families in crisis, and meeting with schools to support children at risk. Six years ago she discovered the gem that is Northwest Children’s Outreach, a non-profit organization with a heart to provide basic necessities to children. Through the generosity of NCO, Ruby can give coats, clothing, shoes, diapers, and sometimes formula or carseats to her desperate clients. Before NCO, resources were buried as in an abandoned mine. Now those treasures can be reached with the click of a button shining light into the dark shaft that is poverty. Ruby estimates she has been able to help almost 10,000 families over the years because of Northwest Children’s Outreach.

Ruby remembers one pregnant homeless woman walking through her door with nothing for her baby. NCO gave the essentials for bringing the infant home while Ruby worked on reconnecting her client with family and friends for housing and support. That first moment of grace provided through NCO cleared the path to establishing trust and revealing deeper hurts and needs. Recently Ruby experienced her own moment of grace. While expecting their first baby, her husband lost his job with health benefits. Suddenly, her fledgling family was in the distress she had seen many times in her work. Ruby is grateful for family and friends encircling her with encouragement and support through the birth of her baby, but realizes many she serves are disconnected from family.

Currently Ruby is an Outreach Specialist providing prevention services, such as parenting classes, to families at risk. She works closely with Child Advocates who first make a home visit to assess needs followed by a family action plan complete with goals. A parent’s willingness to work with the Advocate toward a healthy family prompts an order with NCO. Orders include the child’s age and gender along with a wishlist of needs and sizes. Volunteers sort and organize donations, then tag large black bags with orders. One night a week volunteers arrive to fill the bags from the orderly shelves of the warehouse praying as they go. Toward the end of the week caseworkers come to their local NCO warehouse to pick up orders. Ruby began serving families from the original Beaverton location, but now her local warehouse is in the Pearl District.

Ruby says NCO is a miracle where needs and resources meet through the faithful hands of countless donors and volunteers. She is impressed, inspired, and intrigued by their sparkling spirit of generosity that has allowed her at times to deliver up to 50 bags per week to children wearing their last threads. Ruby’s heart reflects the glistening gratefulness spread across family faces blessed by NCO. Ruby’s best days are when familiar families return with their own donation for Northwest Children’s Outreach.