By Nina Hendricks/Sarah Maples DAR
Ruth Primm is being recognized for Community Service Award from the Sarah Maples Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution as an exemplary role model of a servant leader. As “Outreach” chairman of her church she organized a “Community Dinner” which serves between 350 to 400 people. This event is held every year. Many of these individuals and families are less fortunate due to the low economics in this area. She organized the creation of food boxes for each family (those in need) that could be picked up at the Christmas dinner. She was also responsible for setting up the “Angel Tree” at Christmas and providing coats and other needs for the children at the Tool Elementary School.
As Outreach chairman, Ruth was instrumental in moving the church food pantry from a storage closet to promoting the creation and building of a 1,800 square foot new food pantry facility built on the church campus. This facility serves over 400 families in Henderson County each month. She has organized this needy food program delivery system to those in need where over 100 volunteers, from four local churches, help staff the pantry on a monthly rotation. She works with the East Texas Food Bank and also attends classes in order to better serve the families of Henderson County.
Ruth has been responsible for writing grants that allowed for additional food to be purchased and allocated to those families with children during the summer months. She has coordinated cooking classes using the food pantry supplies to teach people to economically cook meals with the food supplied from the pantry. She oversees that the food pantry allocates monies to help individuals and or families with utility bills, prescriptions and gasoline for doctor appointments.
Her other passion is fundraising for the Library at Cedar Creek Lake. She has been heavily involved with the Literary Club which, formed in 2000, has helped raise over $52,000 through the “Jeannie Hulsey Bridge Benefit” that helps fund the library. She is the chair of the “Bridge” benefit which is held twice yearly. Because of the money made from the benefit, the library is able to offer Summer Reading programs for the children, GED classes, a “Breakfast with Santa” and movies for families.