What is Ruth and Naomi Senior Outreach (RNSO)?
A ministry of spiritual companionship to isolated older adults in the Birmingham, Alabama area.
Why
THE VISION of Ruth and Naomi Senior Outreach is that no elder will live in isolation or die alone.
Who is Ruth and Naomi?
From the book of Ruth in the Bible, the story of Ruth and Naomi inspired the founders Lynn Bledsoe and Mary Porter in 2003, thus becoming the name of the ministry. Within First Presbyterian Church Birmingham, a visioning group of members began to study the book of Ruth and pray for the ministry. Today the ministry continues and thrives through the work of many volunteers under the leadership of director Leigh Ann Min.
In the story, Naomi loses her husband and her two sons while living in a foreign country. When she begins her journey back to her homeland as a desolate woman, her daughter-in-law, Ruth, refuses to leave her side. Ruth accompanies Naomi all the way back to the land of Israel and remains a part of Naomi’s extended family for the rest of their lives. Ruth’s faithful dedication to Naomi is the kind of companionship ministry RNSO seeks to provide.
Where
Most of the ministry occurs in Jefferson and Shelby County, Alabama.
When
In 2003, RNSO “received an initial gift of $10,000 as seed money,” said Mary McQueen Porter. “In the summer of 2005, the organization was incorporated as Ruth and Naomi Outreach, Inc. and a logo and website were developed. In September, the organization received its nonprofit letter from the IRS, establishing RNSO as a 501(c)3 corporation,” she concluded.
