The Larson Foundation recently helped our partners at the Ruel Foundation purchase a new van for their children’s home in Calapan, located in the Philippines.

Ruel operates three Children’s Homes to provide a safe and loving environment for children in crisis. Between the three sites, they can care for up to 100 children at a time. At each location, they provide education, psychological help, medical intervention (especially in the case of severe malnutrition), and spiritual guidance.

The staff at the Calapan Children’s Home reached out to the Larson Foundation after finding a good deal for a brand-new van. It was a good price and came with a free five-year service contract. The van was also larger than their current vehicle, so they could transport children more efficiently. This van is a double blessing, as he Calapan team was then able to “pay it forward” by passing their previous vehicle on to the Ruel staff in Romblon, who only had one car to transport 18 children.

Ruel also conducts outreach programs in local communities to help combat malnutrition. Their goal is to do at least five outreach programs each year, and at each outreach, they look for children who are on the verge of starvation. With their family’s consent, they bring those children back to the Ruel Malnourished Center in Calapan where they go through a refeeding program recommended by WHO (the World Health Organization). After an average of six months, they return to their families happy and healthy.

In addition, the Ruel Foundation works with Smile Train to provide life-changing cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries for children. A cleft lip or cleft palate has a profound effect on a child’s life. Because they cannot drink or eat properly, they are more prone to illness and malnutrition, sometimes leading to death. Children suffering with the affliction are often ridiculed at school, so they lead a life of shame and rejection. But through a donation of just $250, Ruel is able to provide this transformative surgery for another child in need.  

The Larson Financial Foundation is proud to work alongside the Ruel Foundation in pursuit of our mission of empowering all to flourish. We’ve previously partnered with them to raise awareness about foster care and adoption, and several of our staff have had the opportunity to travel to the Philippines to volunteer in person. The Ruel Foundation is very near and dear to the Larson organization as a whole, as our CEO, Paul Larson, and his wife, Rebecca, adopted three of their children from the Calapan Children’s home.  

The Ruel Foundation:
Bringing healing, love, hope and a future to children in crisis.