Ruth Rishel has been a lifelong member of the Penns Valley community, teaching elementary school for over 30 years. Even during the four years that she left the area for work, she always considered Penns Valley to be her home. She enjoys living in Penns Valley because of its wide open, rural atmosphere. Ruth is an active member of the Emmanuel United Church of Christ in Tusseyville and participates in the Retired Seniors Volunteer Program. She has been a volunteer at Centre Foundation since 2002 and is an invaluable member of our team. Ruth started this fund when she received an insurance payment after the death of her brother. She did not believe that she should keep the money and instead chose to start a fund with the foundation that supported the area near and dear to her heart. This fund supports nonprofits and projects exclusively in the Penns Valley area. It is currently part of our competitive granting process and is used to fund applications that come from Penns Valley.