Our history

The Matthew Ruiz Foundation is dedicated to my late brother Matthew Ruiz, who passed away in 2016 from an unexpected brain aneurysm. At the time, Matthew was only twenty years old. He was an earnest worker and always performed to the best of his ability. Matthew had the kindest heart and would do anything for the people he cared deepest for. 

Matthew, born on June 19, 1995 in Bronx, NY, had a passion for looking after the younger children in the community and helping those in need. Although he passed extremely young, Matthew was able to find his true calling through mentorship and advocacy. He became a guardian to many boys in the neighborhood and someone you can always count on. Matthew believed that his destiny was to uplift others in the community and give back to those who needed it most. Oftentimes, Matthew would donate his time or food to the less fortunate by volunteering to assist the elderly and buying food for people experiencing homelessness.

It was an ambition of Matthew to fulfill a path of humanitarianism, supporting others when they needed someone to lean on, and being an outlet for those who needed fundamental resources.  

The Matthew Ruiz Foundation is committed to providing youth from inner-city communities fair access to resources in order to prevent negative criminal justice system engagement. The charity focuses on delivering services to youth and their families through employment, housing, food resources, and programming. The targeted populations of The Matthew Ruiz Foundation are youths, low income families, and ethnic minority groups.

The main focus is to empower youth by creating segways to job opportunities, college readiness, and worldly information, such as knowing your rights and financial literacy. The ultimate plan is to prepare youth for adulthood through access to necessary tools for navigating life. 

A segment of The Matthew Ruiz Foundation will also focus on raising awareness for early detection of brain aneurysms. This component will spread information in the community, raise funds for brain aneurysm research, and support those who are survivors.