About Ruth Jones
In life, Ruth had many interests – reading, writing, fishing, rollerblading, playing baseball, skiing, drumming, playing guitar, working in our vegetable garden, drawing, painting and crafting. She loved music, especially the sounds of the 1950s, ’60s and ’80s. She supported the Cincinnati Reds, Cincinnati Bengals, OSU Buckeyes and LSU Tigers football (and especially Joe Burrow). She loved spending time with her family and church.
In November 2019, Ruth and three of her older cousins volunteered at the YWCA of Central Ohio Family Shelter. For the first time, Ruth saw people without homes or food. The experience made an impact on her young life. A month later while watching Joe Burrow’s Heisman Trophy speech, she learned of the crucial need for food in Athens County, Ohio. That experience spurred Ruth to, on many occasions, donate fresh produce from our garden to the Canal Winchester Food Pantry.
The biblical concept of “cheerful giving” is deeply rooted in Ruth’s family. It was exciting to see that attitude develop in Ruth’s life. In 2021, she founded Ruth’s Produce. Her goal was to grow, sell and deliver fresh produce in and around Carroll and Lithopolis. She had big plans for her profits too. She wanted to buy some Legos (like any 9-year-old), but she was also committed to saving for college, giving to her church and, inspired by Joe Burrow, giving a portion of profits to the Athens County Food Pantry.
The Ruth Jones Cheerful Giver Fund is a donor-advised fund. Gifts are permanently invested through what is known as an endowment fund, a permanent, long-term investment to provide sustainable, lasting support to philanthropic causes. By creating this permanent legacy of Ruth’s beautiful life, we intend to carry forward Ruth’s growing commitment to cheerful giving, impacting needs and opportunities she would eagerly support.
We anticipate gifts generating many annual grants to the Athens County Food Pantry and future grants to charitable and humanitarian causes that we feel would have been important to Ruth. Thank you in advance for partnering with us to sustain Ruth’s cheerful giving legacy.
With much appreciation and love,
Ben and Elizabeth Jones
Support the Ruth Jones Cheerful Giver Fund
Gifts to the Ruth Jones Cheerful Giver Fund are tax-deductible and can be made in many ways, including cash, bequests, stock, real estate, royalties, insurance beneficiaries and qualified charitable distributions from IRAs.
To mail your donation, please designate the fund and mail to the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio, 35 Public Square, Nelsonville, OH 45764.