Woman writes children's book to support school in Haiti

Ruth Paul-Caudle was a teenager when she left Haiti to attend Lake Forest College.

Growing up with 11 siblings, Paul-Caudle knew what it was like to do without. While she felt her family was fortunate, she saw poverty all around her.

Her father worked as a minister dedicating much of his life to helping the poor. "He helped build an orphanage. He left a legacy for us," Paul-Caudle said of her father.

It was her father who gave Paul-Caudle the inspiration and drive to help those less fortunate. It was the death of her father a few years ago that sparked Paul-Caudle's own mission to assist the people from her native country.

"I want to live by the examples my father showed me," she said.

Her latest charity effort is the completion of a children's book written to raise money for Haitian children.

The fact that Ruth was pregnant with her first child at the time of her father's death made her even more compassionate for the little ones. She and her husband, Brian, knew many kids in Haiti have no choice other than to walk two hours to school.

The Caudles made it their mission to build a school in Guibert, near Kenscoff where Ruth grew up. They co-founded the Edner Paul Foundation, named after Ruth's father.

To build the school, the couple raised more than $20,000 at a gospel concert hosted by a Lake Villa church about five years ago. The school opened in 2003 with room for 40 students.

Through the Caudles' efforts, the Spirit of Truth School has grown and now enrolls about 300 children. "It's free for the children there," Ruth said.

Before the school was operational, parents in Haiti would often give up their food for their children's education. Even today, many children don't attend class because they can't afford the $20 uniform.

"It's a culture thing," Ruth said. "Or the students may pass out in class because of hunger," she added.

Ruth's latest venture to assist the educational effort is the release of her first book, "Yvette, Annette and Renette." All proceeds from the $16.99 book go toward operating the school in Haiti. The book is available through Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.

"I love to write. I love telling folk stories to my kids," she said. Ruth, 34, and Brian have three children, Corey, 8, Kayla, 6, and Sophie, who is almost 2.

Brian is the co-owner of Kingsford Fastener, a company that sells nail gun nails to carpenters.

Ruth is attempting to let people know that they can make a difference.

"I find that people want to help, but they don't know how," she said. To make a contribution, go to www.hopeforthehungry.org.