“Incredible!” is the response you obtain whenever you ask Rita Ullom how her day goes—even when that day was crammed with sudden, disturbing occurrences. Rita lives her life with optimism, compassion, and a coronary heart as huge as her prolonged household. She is a member of Alternative Worldwide’s Board of Governors; due to her vitality and advocacy, our shoppers are working their means out of poverty to stay with dignity and function.
Rita grew up in a big, busy family; her Lebanese grandmother cooked scrumptious meals and “saved the household in line;” she is known as after her aunt, a lady of energy—as is her namesake. Like her dad and mom, Rita labored exhausting and began within the building trade the place she loved a profitable profession and finally met her husband, Todd. Rita additionally makes time to pursue portray; her colourful, beneficiant paintings captures the spirit and coronary heart of her family and friends.
A number of years in the past, Rita grew to become licensed as a diabetes prevention specialist by Holy Cross Hospital. Rita’s pure vitality and enthusiasm, mixed along with her innate respect and willingness to “stroll in one other’s footwear,” made her an distinctive coach for individuals battling managing a life-changing illness. She has coached greater than 25 cohorts of sufferers—in English and Spanish—as they study vitamin, health, and stress administration. Every cohort commits to a 12-month program; by the tip of the 12 months, most sufferers have misplaced weight, gotten off their drugs, and gained a brighter outlook on their lives.
Rita’s husband, Todd, had been a long-standing and beneficiant supporter of Alternative Worldwide. He launched Rita to the group; they attended a gathering hosted on the residence of one other Alternative donor the place they discovered about Alternative’s work in empowering girls. Rita’s coronary heart and thoughts have been moved; since then, the Ulloms have been strolling with Alternative’s shoppers on our journey. This previous February, Todd and Rita hosted their very own Alternative gathering the place pals discovered in regards to the modern methods Alternative is making a distinction within the lives of people that have been marginalized: “Alternative’s work is targeted on empowering girls residing in poverty; actually, they empower us,” Rita famous.
We’re so lucky to depend Rita as a loyal member of the Alternative household.