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About Us
Our Mission
Our mission is to help caregivers recognize what lies beneath the stress, exhaustion, and challenges of caregiving while creating space for healing, renewal, resilience, and hope. Through community education, wellness activities, peer support, meaningful connections, and practical self-care tools, RUTH empowers individuals to care for themselves while continuing to care for others.
At RUTH, we believe that those who care for others deserve to be cared for, too.
Our Slogan
“Who Cares for the Caregiver?”
Our Vision
Core Values
1. Empowerment: Empowering caregivers to heal and grow personally, fostering resilience
and self-efficacy.
2. Self-Care: Promoting the importance of self-care and well-being for caregivers to
sustainably support others.
3. Compassion: Demonstrating empathy and understanding towards caregivers and those
they serve.
4. Integrity: Upholding honesty, transparency, and ethical practices in all interactions and
operations.
5. Collaboration: Encouraging teamwork, mutual respect, and collaboration among
caregivers and stakeholders.
6. Continuous Learning: Committing to ongoing education, growth, and adaptation to best
practices in trauma healing and caregiving.
7. Impact: Striving for meaningful and positive impact in the lives of caregivers and the
communities they serve.
These core values reflect RUTH's commitment to enhancing the well-being of caregivers and
optimizing their ability to provide compassionate care in the social service field.
About The CEO
Michelle Clay, CEO of Reaching Underneath The Hurt (RUTH), is a dedicated advocate, leader, and caregiver
support champion with more than 30 years of experience in the social services field.
Throughout her career, Michelle has served in a variety of roles, including Domestic Violence Advocate and Director, Drug and Alcohol Counselor, Social Service Designee, and Activity Director in nursing home settings. These experiences gave her a firsthand understanding of the emotional demands placed on people who spend their lives caring for and supporting others.
After decades of serving others, Michelle recognized an important need that often goes unnoticed: Who cares for the caregiver?
That question became a driving force behind the continued development of RUTH. Michelle believes caregivers deserve a place where they can pause, breathe, reconnect, and receive support without feeling guilty for taking care of themselves.
Her leadership is rooted in compassion, lived experience, recovery, service, and a deep commitment to helping people discover strength beneath life's challenges. Through RUTH, Michelle works to create opportunities for caregivers and helping professionals to strengthen their mind, body, and spirit, build resilience, and renew their sense of purpose.
Michelle's vision is simple but powerful:
“Those who care for others deserve to be cared for, too.”
Through RUTH, she continues to reach underneath the hurt, restore hope, and create spaces where caregivers can feel seen, valued, supported, and empowered to thrive.
Reaching Underneath The Hurt (RUTH) envisions a community where caregivers are recognized, valued, supported, and empowered to care for themselves without guilt. We envision a world where no caregiver feels forgotten, overwhelmed, or alone; where caring for others does not mean losing oneself; and where every caregiver has access to opportunities that promote wellness, recovery, resilience, hope, and renewal of mind, body, and spirit.
