Q&A WITH JERRY CARUSO ‘70

LEARN MORE ABOUT PROVIDING ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT WITH CARUSO FAMILY CHARITIES

by Rainey Watson ‘26 photos courtesy of Caruso Family Charities

As we reflect on Mission Week, it is important for us to remember and incorporate the generous spirit of giving into our everyday lives. Regis Jesuit graduate Jerry Caruso ‘70 lives this spirit out through his kind acts and donations to families in need. Jerry was inspired to create the Caruso Family Charities by the staff at Children’s Hospital Colorado. The foundation is dedicated to helping families with children who have life-threatening conditions. They are currently in their 17th year and have provided support to over 1,600 families. It is also one of the charities that the Regis Jesuit community supported during Mission Week.

Q&A WITH JERRY CARUSO

HOW DID REGIS JESUIT HELP DEVELOP YOUR PASSION FOR HELPING OTHERS?

THE CURRENT STUDENTS AT REGIS DO A LOT OF VOLUNTEERING. WAS THERE A VOLUNTEERING PROGRAM WHEN YOU ATTENDED REGIS?

“You know, I think a lot of the classmates that I had, we were all very young, caring for one another and such close friends. We were never very selfish. And we were always willing to give back and help students that were having trouble or there was someone who was willing to help me. And so, it was just a very giving community, and I love that, and I think that helped me a lot in what I am doing today.”

“No, but we used to go to orphanages. There were three in the area. There was Saint Vincent’s Orphanage, the Queen of Heaven Orphanage, and there was Saint Claire’s Orphanage. They were all around Regis, and so we would go over there and help the kids with schoolwork or basketball or football. We would do things like that in the community. I wouldn’t say a lot, but we were always involved in something.”

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF WORKING WITH CARUSO FAMILY CHARITIES?

“Well, my favorite part is getting to work with my family, and we help families that have a child with a terminal or life-threatening diagnosis. So, what we do is we get applications from social workers throughout the state for families that have a sick child, and we get poverty level families, and then we go visit and we help them, we pay their bills, we pay rent, we pay Excel energy, we fix their cars, anything they need to get them back on their feet. And we are also really trying to help a lot of the siblings because a lot of times, when there’s a sick child in the house, the siblings get pushed aside. We want to make sure that they’re taken care of. So, we buy them computers for school, we buy them school clothes, whatever they need to fit in, we take care of. These people are praying for someone to come along and help them and we’re those people that come along and do that. It’s very rewarding and we love it.”

IS THERE A SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE THAT YOU HAD WORKING WITH YOUR CHARITY THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?

“We had one family, this couple had four daughters, and they played soccer. It was a normal family doing well. And the second one, Bethany, was playing soccer and she kept falling. And he (the dad) said ‘Why do you keep falling?’ She said, ‘I don’t know. I just lose my balance.’ And he said, ‘Well, that’s crazy’ So, he gets her tested and they diagnosed her with a disease called Friedreich’s ataxia, which is a form of MS. And he said your daughter has MS and she’ll be in a wheelchair. Her life expectancy is 25. There’s no cure. And so, he and his wife become devastated...”

“One of the issues they were having was that I went to meet the family and I said, ‘what’s your biggest concern? Where can we help you the most?’ And he said, ‘My daughters are sick, but my car is so bad, he says, and we’re going back and forth to the hospital all the time, and I’m afraid something’s going to happen because the car is so bad.’ So, we bought them a vehicle that would take care of the three daughters and take care of him. So today, they have a very nice van for wheelchairs. And that’s what we do.’

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CARUSO FAMILY CHARITIES?

Visit www.carusofamilycharities.org for more information on how you can support families in Colorado.