Ruth has maintained membership with Neighbors Abroad for over five decades. She previously served as President and has visited six of Palo Alto's Sister Cities. Drawn to the Sister City concept established by President Eisenhower, she found the organization aligned with her mission to advance global peace and mutual understanding.

Her work focused particularly on Palo, Philippines, where she contributed to establishing and developing the Children's Library. In Palo Alto, she curated a nine-month community exhibition called Bayanihan, which subsequently traveled to additional venues across the United States.