[Noozhawk’s note: First in a series on Santa Barbara Partners in Education volunteers.]
Ruth Loomer has always been committed to volunteerism and giving back to the community. Spend five minutes around her, and her positive outlook and infectious smile will confirm these assumptions.
Loomer is general manager of MedBridge Development, a Santa Barbara company that develops and manages medical facilities.
MedBridge shares a similar company-wide passion for volunteering, which has already paid dividends throughout the community. During the past school year, Loomer and her team of fellow MedBridge employees were at Santa Barbara Junior High every Tuesday to help tutor for the CORE Program. CORE is a sixth-period class for seventh- and eighth-graders, targeting at-risk youth for special attention, both academically and personally. Loomer and crew were a welcome sight each week, and the students always looked forward to their blend of enthusiasm and bottomless optimism.
Upon entering the room, Loomer was greeted by a cacophony of calls for help from every corner. You would often find her surrounded by students, each clamoring for an answer. She was always happy to oblige, whether staring at a crowded fractions worksheet or helping to draw a snow-capped mountain range on a colorful hand-drawn map of the Louisiana Purchase.
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Sometimes, Loomer and her tutoring team would bring pizza and other treats, which further buoyed their popularity with the students to previously unheard of heights. After watching many of the CORE students graduate, Loomer said, “I loved seeing Nick graduate and the proud look on his family’s faces as they showered him with flowers, balloons, hugs and tons of pictures at graduation. I felt proud knowing I played a very small part in his moving on to high school.”
Not only did she help the students with their endless amounts of homework, but she also personified the community’s commitment to every single member. She was a role model and powerful presence in the lives of each student.
“Working with CORE was rewarding in a way I wasn’t expecting,” Loomer said. “It was tough to get the boys to stay on task, get assignments completed, and many weeks I left feeling like we hadn’t accomplished anything.
“However, what I realized over time is that we weren’t there to simply do homework with students, we were there to build relationships with a group of kids who often get labeled as a menace to society and are sidelined.”
Loomer added, “I wish that every business in town was partnered with a local school — to say to at-risk kids: ‘You are worth our time, energy and resources. We believe in you, even if no one else does. Now, step up and into all that you are made for!’”
MedBridge Development is a member of the Partners in Education President’s Council, a group of local businesses, organizations and individuals who support Partners in Education with contributions of at least $2,500. Any company or organization has the opportunity to participate in Partners in Education, but the President’s Council is limited to no more than 25.
» Click here for more information on Santa Barbara Partners in Education.
» Click here for more information on how to become a President’s Council member or contact Michelle Magnusson, development and membership director, at 805.964.4710 x4417 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
» Click here for a related article from Partners in Education board president Lynda Nahra.
» Connect with Partners in Education on Facebook.
Partners in Education is a program of the Santa Barbara County Education Office and is the beneficiary of the upcoming Santa Barbara Triathlon, Aug. 26-28. Ben Romo, executive director of Partners in Education, will be competing in the triathlon. Click here to make an online donation.
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— Benjamin Maskell is an AmeriCorps volunteer who has been working as a Santa Barbara Partners in Education volunteer coordinator.
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