Ruppert Family Honors Sister’s Memory with Commitment to Helping People with Disabilities
Kimberlee and Tina* prefer a quiet life and they spend many happy hours at their home, known affectionately as Bethlehem House. Located on a tree-lined cul-de-sac, the home takes its name from a Catholic faith-based group that serves the spiritual and communal needs of adults with disabilities in Maryland and Washington, D.C.
“We consider ourselves partners with Jubilee,” said Peg Kolm, the Executive Director of the Bethlehem House Foundation Inc. The two organizations began working together in 2019, when the original Bethlehem House organization transitioned away from residential support services to focus solely on spiritual care, community, and friendship.
Sister Barbara Bartlett from the Bethlehem House Foundation visits often with Kimberlee and Tina to celebrate holidays and birthdays. They like to enjoy ice cream and reminisce about good times together. For decades, those good times at Bethlehem House have included the Ruppert family.
Colleen Ruppert was supported by Bethlehem House Inc. for many years before passing away in 2022. The close-knit Ruppert family has long been involved with the organization, and now with Jubilee as well. The Ruppert family purchased the house in Maryland to ensure it would continue to be used as an independent living home for people with disabilities. Colleen’s brother Curtis Ruppert reminisces that she was “special in so many ways. She was a great advocate for other people with disabilities.”
“Colleen’s parents, Carl and Antoinette Ruppert, showed their kids the way,” said Peg Kolm. “Now, as adults, the entire family has a spirit of philanthropy and stewardship, and a commitment to a faith community supporting one another.”
That spirit was shown in the recent major house renovation undertaken by the Ruppert family at the home where Kimberlee and Tina now live. The renovation includes an updated kitchen layout with all new appliances, fresh paint and new flooring, upgrades to the second bathroom and bedroom, and landscaping.
Janeice Green is a program manager at Jubilee, and she oversees the direct support professional staff working at Bethlehem House with Kimberlee and Tina. “Curtis and the Ruppert family really care about the environment Kimberlee and Tina live in,” said Janeice. “It’s a real partnership between the Ruppert family and Jubilee. We’re grateful for all they have done to truly make the house a home. It’s a wonderful feeling to work with a landlord who is doing this for all the right reasons.”
Curtis and Donna Ruppert’s commitment to helping people with disabilities includes membership in Jubilee’s Champions of Inclusion annual giving society.
*Last names excluded for privacy.