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Ruth Kahl Barrett, Able to Help, Inc. founder/CEO, is an
award-winning cook, receiving first place honors at the Hazel Woods
National Wild Foods contest, North Bend State Park’s Nature Wonder
Weekend, in Cairo, West Virginia. Ruth conducts wild edibles
workshops at the Nature Museum and various state parks, enjoys
teaching Naturalists Weekends at Wildacres through Discovery Place,
and loves everything about dandelions.
Ruth received her Master of Arts in Teaching German from The
University of South Carolina, Columbia, which also honored her with
the AMOCO Outstanding Teaching Award as the best teacher in the
state. She was graduated from Lenoir-Rhyne University, Hickory, N.
C. with a Bachelor of Arts and Honors in German, and holds an
Associate of Arts Certificate from The University of Maryland,
Munich, Germany, where she received the Bouvier House Scholarship,
and the German award for excellence in the German language.
Ruth is a U.S. Airways German-language qualified transatlantic
flight attendant. She won the first place in the Needlework Times
Home Study Course with her reversible blackwork stitching, and has
designed and printed two booklets. She taught at the Carolinas
Regional Seminar on Hilton Head Island, and “Twice as Nice”
Mini-Workshops at the SEYG Needlework and Accessories Trade Shows,
at the Charlotte Civic Center, and the Atlanta Merchandise Mart.
Ruth has taught Embroiderers’ Guild of America, Inc. workshops, also
classes and seminars in the Carolinas and Tennessee. Her college and
university counted cross stitch patterns grace campuses across the
southeast. Ruth enjoyed appearing on three television shows with her
embroidery, including Top O’ The Day in Charlotte & The Nancy Welch
Show in Spartanburg. She won the Betty Crocker Homemaker of America
award in Ayer, Massachusetts. She plays piano, enjoys performing on
flute coast to coast and abroad, and has made several recordings.
Joseph A. Barrett, Jr., CIO / VP Technology with Able to
Help, Inc., served over a decade as president of Mensa (the High IQ
Society). Joe is a talented webmaster for various small businesses,
and also for organizations like the Charlotte/Blue Ridge Mensa
chapter, Western North Carolina Via de Cristo, Alemannia Society of
Charlotte, & the German Church of St. Mark’s in Charlotte, N.C., as
well as our personal website. He enjoys work as a computer
consultant/design engineer in and around Charlotte. He is sought
after for all things computer, his expertise. A natural-born leader,
Joe excels in solving most any crisis, no matter how difficult. His
skills have resolved computer crises in Africa, Bermuda, Canada,
Germany, Korea, Mexico, and also all around the United States of
America.
An award-winning photographer, his avocation is also prized. An
original music composition of his is in the Library of Congress. His
Via de Cristo volunteer work is now branching out to Kairos, a
Christian, lay-led, ecumenical, international prison ministry.
Joe was graduated from The University of Maryland, at College
Park, with his Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing. One of the
smartest human beings in the world, he joined Mensa (the 98th
percentile in IQ, or top two percent) and also the “Triple Nine
Club”, signifying by standardized intelligence quotient tests that
he is as smart as—or smarter than—99.9% of the people on earth.
Ruth and Joe serve on the Steering Committee of the local German
language church, and are active in church. Ruth sings in two choirs
and plays the flute; Joe plays the guitar and runs the sound system,
as well as working on the website and serving on committees. We are
also interested in maintaining our good health and in caring for the
environment. And, we like to help people! |
