Women In Community Service Inc.

WICS Chair Receives Jefferson Award

May 16, 2000

We are proud to announce that our Chair, Ruthie Ames has been honored by being nominated and selected to receive one of three Jefferson Awards presented by KPRC Channel 2 here in Houston, Texas. Established in 1972 by Jaqueline Onassis, Senator Robert Taft Jr., and Sam Beard,the American Institute for Public Service presents the Jefferson Awards on two levels: local and national. On the local level, award recipients are ordinary people who do extrordinary things without expectation or reward. They are nominated through a nationwide network of 51 media sponsors - newspapers, television stations, radio stations and cable systems. These media sponsors solicit nominations of individuals who work to better their communities through volunteer and community service. In 1999, more that 14,000 people were nominated for local Jefferson Awards. One representative from each media sponsor is chosen by the American Institute's Board of Selectors to attend the Jefferson Awards National Ceremony at the U.S. Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C. Five of these local recipients are then selected to receive the Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis Award for Greatest Public Service Benefitting Local Communities.

Ruthie is one of the founding members of Women In Community Service Inc. and has been active in this community and surrounding areas for many years. Her work as a volunteer has affected the lives of many persons in various fields of service. Besides her work with WICS she is also a patroller in the Glen Lee Area Citizens On Patrol, Citizen Chair for the Houston Police Department NE Command Positive Interaction Program for two years, Board member for PIP for the past 6 years and member of the HPD Citywide PIP, Secretary and Clerk for Calvary Baptist Church of Humble, a founding member and first Chair of the Glen Lee Area Civic Association Inc., Precinct Chair for Pct# 410 and Election Judge for the past several years. These are only some of the organizations/services that she is/has been associated with.

Her work has resulted in sewer and water connections for underserved areas of Houston, street lighting and improved police presence. Crime reduction and improved citizen/police relations have made our streets safer. Her organizational skills have brought people together to discuss and find solutions to their problems large and small. "Teaching others how to help themselves" and "encouraging others to give of themselves" is one of the goals of her service to the community. Her Christian Ethic has been the standard by which she works and "if the motive is not pure", according to Ruthie, "...you're wasting your time and everyone else's".

I spoke with Ruthie and asked her about some of her thoughts on volunteerism.

"It is important to search out and keep resources readily available. You must work to build working relationships with persons who can help so that they will be willing to help and will trust that your need is genuine when you call, especially in an emergency. When people call me for help I need to be able to give them answers or at least find them someone who can. Those calling for help must find you available and willing. Sometimes it takes a lot out of someone to ask for help and you need to be prepared for that moment.

Many times, all a person needs is encouragement to solve their problem and you must be sensitive to the circumstances they are facing. Also, hope. People must have hope or they die inside and give up on themselves or become hopelessly dependant on "the system" where they just become another case number. Besides ecouraging them and getting their problem resolved, you need to go to the next step which is encouraging them and inspiring others to give of themselves in a like manner and build a community of "problem solvers". I certainly can't be there for everyone and everything. I don't want to "do it all" nor do I have the ability to do all things. Different people who become charged with the desire to serve, bring their own talents and strengths with them. They are able to reach out to others in areas and in ways and situations that will never have come to me. They will be able to affect others'lives in ways that I never could and probably never will know.

Teaching a person how to do for themselves is one of the first steps in learning personal accountability. It is very popular today to make excuses for our behavior and our circimstances. Sure it is hard but ultimately, each one of us is responsible for our choices, our actions and reactions and how we interact with those outside ourselves. We live in communities, no one, no matter how far removed geographically, is here alone. We were made with ears, mouths, eyes... for communicating and we need to be responsible communicators, watching that what we say is honest, truthful, edifying and something we can be proud to admit came from our own lips.

On the other end of accountability is teaching them how to hold others accountable for themselves and not making excuses for them. It does not help a person to repeatedly rescue him from his own "mess". He will never be able to learn from his mistakes, he won't have to. The pain that we cause others and ourselves is the greatest teacher. My friend Lovearne Potts always says that her daddy told them as kids that..."A lesson learned is better than a lesson told." There is a lot of truth in that. Learning to hold others accountable in personal, business and governmental relationships is the fastest way to understanding, respect and resolution."

I asked Ruthie what gave her the most joy in her work.

"Tutoring kids is something that would have been the farthest thing from my mind. When a friend from the Councilmans office called me and asked me to help out with the Mayor's Afterschool program, I knew she had mistaken me for someone else, but she was sure I could do the job and I am so glad that I agreed to try.It became the greatest blessing yet. I didn't think I had it in me after seeing the challenges of home schooling one of my children and one of my grand children but...Wow! Seeing the kids desire to know was such a change from many of us ol'folks who have brain overload and don't want anymore information. It was so rewarding to see them struggle to grasp an idea or concept and you'd spend yourself trying to find the key to their understanding and then....they get it! Their joy of accomplishment is hard to describe! The tutoring also gave me an opportunity to talk to them about "service". It is important that we teach our kids through word AND deed what service is all about. We are naturally selfish human beings and many times we will not move unless we can see the direct benefit or reward for us. I'm going to be too old one day to do many of the things I enjoy doing now. I would truly hope and pray that there will be someone younger and quicker who will be there and care to "serve" me. If I teach enough young ones and can inspire them to "love their neighbor". I think maybe I'll be alright."

Ruthie's parting comment was, "Always be open to learning something new. No one knows it all. Especially me. Everything I do is inspired by my love for the Lord and other godly people whom I have watched do the same things. There are hundreds and thousands of persons who do as much and more than I have ever done or will ever do. I am very touched that some of my work has been noticed but I am just one of a great army that works quietly behind the scenes making things happen and teaching others how to do the same. It's all about family and love, plain and simple."

You can find out more about the Jefferson Award on-line at http://www.aips.org/index.html

WICS