• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
WRAP

WRAP

Western Regional Advocacy Project

  • Donate Now
  • Get Email Updates
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • About
    • 40 Years of Fighting
    • History
    • Mission
    • Strategy
    • Members
    • Board / Staff
  • Campaigns
    • Business Improvement Districts
    • House Keys Not Sweeps
    • Legal Defense Clinics Project
    • Homeless Bill of Rights
    • Oregon Right To Rest
    • Without Housing
    • Street Outreach
  • Organizing Tools
    • Without Housing Organizing Toolkit
    • Homeless Bill of Rights Campaign Manual
    • WRAP Organizers Manual
    • WRAP Artwork
  • Resources
    • Pipe Dreams and Picket Fences Report
    • Art in Action Power Point Slide Show
    • Hobos to Street People
    • House Keys Book
    • Political Education
    • Legal Research
  • Media
    • Newsletters
    • Blog
    • Hobos to Street People Art Show
    • Street Newspapers
    • Sweeps Gallery Videos
    • Videos
  • Support Us
    • Donate
    • Become a Monthly Sustainer
    • Volunteer
    • Support WRAP
    • WRAP Newsletters & Updates Sign Up

Paul’s Remembrance of Ruth

December 26, 2017 by Jonathan 5 Comments

WRAP lost a very dear friend in 2017, Ruth Pleaner.  We feel the loss every day.  We are also uplifted by her friendship and supported by all the incredible systems and training she gave us with a huge heart full of love and vision.  At a recent 30 year anniversary party for the Coalition On Homelessness in San Francisco Paul Boden shared some memories of his 29 year friendship and the amazing work of Ruth Pleaner. Rest in power and peace.

Normally I would ask Ruth what I should say at something like this. But I can’t do that.  I do  have a short story that I think helps exemplify Ruth. This story is from early on when the  (San Francisco) Homeless Coalition was starting out. We were just coming up off the street and when poor people are coming off the street you’re not used to being around money the rules are not the most important thing you are doing. And well, we screwed some things up at first. It wasn’t because of stealing or cheating or anything, it was just mistakes. Stuff happens.  This type of thing happens with a lot of new businesses but when you’re poor people some folks want to shut you down for it.  We brought Ruth in to help us.  We were in a small, funky office in the Tenderloin neighborhood.  Really funky.

Ruth comes in and looks at our funky office and says “yeah, I’ll work for you. The only condition is I’m bringing my new baby to work with me every day.” And that’s how we met Max.  It’s not the response we were expecting.  A lot of people hid their kids behind them when they came in. But Ruth was different, she loved the space we were creating and she loved us. She started working for us and helped us to learn all the accounting rules and how to document and to be accountable to ourselves with money in a way that we understood, but would also help the foundations who were supporting us to understand what we were doing too. She taught us we didn’t need to be afraid of the arcane rules that were imposed on us or allow them to dictate how we do things. She taught us we could be accountable to ourselves first and foremost.  We would give people a small stipend when they helped us out. That’s what we did.  Most places didn’t do that but Ruth supported it and helped us do it right and explain it.

We celebrate 30 years of kick ass resistance tonight but the truth is we probably would not have made it through year three without Ruth. 

We worked together to start up WRAP, which is an extension of the Coalition and includes Portland, Los Angeles, Oakland, Sacramento and Denver.  Ruth helped us set this up.  She’s worked here for 12 years. Every single day for 12 years and not once asked “what’s in it for me.”  We’d have intense meetings and Ruth would be sitting there knitting. It’s hard to be too intense when someone is knitting. She knew us so well and she knew how to speak and act from the heart.

The first time she did payroll at the Coalition Ruth realized she was getting paid more than others and she lowered her wage so it would be the same as everyone.  I remember her saying “I didn’t think I needed to ask to pay myself less.”  To this day every position starts out at the same rate of pay at the Coalition. Work is of equal importance. She felt just because she was the book keeper she didn’t think that was more important than organizing.  When people admired or used this pay model Ruth never took credit. She gave the credit to the organization.   

It’s how she moved through the world, with a spirit of social justice. She devoted a big chunk of her time for 29 years to help new organizations and new projects by having us be their fiscal agent, setting up systems and training people so they could do it on their own.

Ruth strongly believed that it was really important that we all bring different skills to the table. We’re all learning from each other and we are all a part of the community.  And that’s how Ruth lived her life when she was with us and we thank her for it and miss her terribly.  

WRAP sends our love and care to Ruth’s family and all her many, many friends.

Filed Under: WRAP Staff Tagged With: WRAP Staff

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Laura Ware says

    December 26, 2017 at 10:01 pm

    Said in the best possible way. Ruth is missed in a thousand ways. Thanks for sharing these thoughts, Paul!
    Laura Ware

    Log in to Reply
  2. Laura Ware says

    December 26, 2017 at 10:02 pm

    Said in the best of ways. We miss Ruth a thousand times over. Thanks for sharing this, Paul.
    Laura Ware

    Log in to Reply
  3. Amy Grassette says

    December 26, 2017 at 10:34 pm

    Beautiful!

    Log in to Reply
  4. Natalie says

    December 28, 2017 at 7:47 pm

    So sorry to hear about Ruth’s passing. She was a strong, silent, kind, competent, force. Thank you for letting me know.

    Log in to Reply
  5. allan pleaner says

    December 30, 2017 at 1:12 am

    Thanks for sending this
    What a huge heart and fierce spirit
    She knew how to make things happen..

    Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Footer

Instagram Feed

Does the litany of laws forbidding camping, loiter Does the litany of laws forbidding camping, loitering, trespassing, blocking the sidewalk and panhandling make society safer? https://conta.cc/3ZrNvk5
https://conta.cc/48wWLr8
Welcome to the WRAP-UP! Boise, ID. Video Shows Fam Welcome to the WRAP-UP!	Boise, ID. Video Shows Family Violently Arrested and Severely Injured for Living in Park, and more news from our members.  https://conta.cc/3R8Efzl
https://conta.cc/3r3rHhU
Washington D.C. PRESS RELEASE: Congresswoman Bush Washington D.C. PRESS RELEASE: Congresswoman Bush Re-Introduces Unhoused Bill of Rights https://wraphome.org/
After nearly 30 years of continuous publication, w After nearly 30 years of continuous publication, we have lost our funding. Street Spirit ceased publication on July 1, but we will not give up! Our newspaper is an invaluable source of East Bay news, and a vital resource for the people who sell it. Come party with us to support our effort to relaunch. https://conta.cc/3rifOod
WRAP is Hiring - Member Organizer WRAP was founde WRAP is Hiring - Member Organizer 
WRAP was founded in 2005 by local social justice organizations across the West to bring about real systemic change. We are building a multi-issue, multi-racial and social justice-based coalition which brings organizations together across the local–national divide, thus giving us the strength and experience to make ending poverty and homelessness a national priority. https://conta.cc/3XD5QK9
Celebrating Resistance Relationships June 30, 202 Celebrating Resistance Relationships 
June 30, 2023 * 6:00 - 8:00 pm 
320 West 37th Street, New York, NY 10018
State of the “Sweeps” The politics of encampme State of the “Sweeps”
The politics of encampments and displacement in the “post” pandemic order
Public panel discussion, June 14, 4-5:30pm Communications 120
University of Washington, Seattle
Undercommons Archives Art Show Thursday June 15th Undercommons Archives Art Show
Thursday June 15th 7-10pm 
Adobe Books 3130 24th St. SF
Instagram post 17863401230948820 Instagram post 17863401230948820
San Francisco, CA. Mayor’s Plan to Expand Shelte San Francisco, CA. Mayor’s Plan to Expand Shelter GUTS HOUSING FOR HOMELESS FAMILIES AND YOUTH 
https://wraphome.org/2023/05/31/mayors-plan-to-expand-shelter-guts-housing-for-homeless-families-and-youth/
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Facebook Icon

Facebook Feed

Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons
Link thumbnail

Does the litany of laws forbidding camping, loitering, trespassing, blocking the sidewalk and panhandling make society safer?

web-extract.constantcontact.com

The Legal Defense Clinics (LDC) Project aims to strengthen and support the growing movement to decriminalize homelessness by reimagining the...
13 hours ago
View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 1
  • Shares: 0
  • Comments: 0

Twitter Icon

Twitter Feed

Twitter feed is not available at the moment.

YouTube icon

Youtube Code

Our Channel

Copyright © 2023 Western Regional Advocacy Project WRAP · Log in