Live Liberal :: LESS ABOUT ME, MORE ABOUT WE.

LIVE IT! ::
The world is filled with passionate individuals who put others before themselves, but their stories often go untold. In communities across America, right now, there are people working together to better the lives of their neighbors, friends, and people in need. Live Liberal is honored to recognize individuals who embody the spirit of what it means to live liberal with the "Live It!" award. Click here to contact us if you'd like to nominate someone for the Live It! award.

OUR CURRENT RECIPIENT OF THE LIVE IT! AWARD ::
Name: Ron Keller
Location: Saint Paul, Minnesota
Occupation: President, Keller Construction Company

One of the forty or more foster children to whom Ron Keller became “father,” said it this way: “…thank you because you have given me and many lost and misguided children guidance in life. Without you, I don’t know where I would be, who I would be, or if I would be. You never gave up on me even when I ran away, and because of you I am mostly who I am today. I thank you from the deepest part of my being for you and for letting me into your home and heart.”

Ron Keller is a self-defined conservative with very traditional values. One of those traditional values is a strong belief in and the living out of LiveLiberal’s motto, “Less About Me. More About We.” Having had a strong and supportive family life himself as a child and young man, Ron seemed especially drawn to providing other young people such positive opportunities to prepare for what lies ahead in life. His idea was to create a home and home life devoted to children in critical need of a place to live.

He began this journey toward that goal by being an active participant in the various programs of the Boy Scouts, having been a Cub Scout and remaining in the Scouts through the rank of Eagle Scout. He subsequently became a scoutmaster at all levels of the Scouting program and was awarded the “Silver Beaver” scoutmaster’s award – the highest scoutmaster’s award in Scouting. It was through this Scouting experience that he made contact with the family that provided him his first foster child.

Another part of this journey began in 1968 when he became one of the first “Big Brother” volunteers in St. Paul in the year in which it was organized there. Several successful and fulfilling “little brother” experiences led Ron to inquire about the possibility of becoming a foster parent. He was soon licensed by both Ramsey County Foster Care and Lutheran Social Services and became a single dad (foster dad) in 1971, long before the concept became popular. Since he was single, he could only take boys, something that changed later when he married. He bought a house and finished the lower level with bedrooms and game room and became a licensed teen group home for up to seven youth…all the while working full time in the construction business and maintaining his Scouting activities. At one time he had five boys between the ages of 13 and 14, as well as his own three children. This was such a part of his life that he had four of his foster children in his wedding.

During all this excitement, he took his Boy Scout troop to three national Jamborees, his church youth group (he was a youth leader) on numerous service and camping trips throughout the USA, built a large work and storage shed for his Scout troop, and an ample first cabin (along with an outhouse and a boathouse) at the Scout Camp.

Over the 40 years of foster parenting, Ron has had many young children from widely diverse circumstances. He has, for example, had a young girl from Cambodia whose parents were killed and who came to his home without any English language skills. She had hidden in the rice fields for almost two years before she was rescued. She is now a university graduate and a productive citizen. He lives just a short distance from an elementary school and always had the helping support of the teachers and staff there.

Ron defines his parenting style as strict and consistent within the context of love and forgiveness. He said that the major thing he learned from the kids is that “they just want someone to care about them.” For over 35 years and through forty kids, Ron exemplifies loving and caring in liberal doses. As for the future, he hopes to become a Merit Badge Counselor within the Boy Scouts.