OUR STORY
LOVE GOD.
LOVE PEOPLE.
For more than two decades, Alex and Shunna Jones-Moreno, Reach Up Reach Out’s Founders, have endeavored to love God and people. This dynamic couple has worked in full-time ministry and done extensive missions work around the globe. Alex and Shunna are ordained ministers, trained in the Grief Recovery Method' and have a heart to see people encounter Jesus and live a life of service.
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In addition to his passion to serve the poor, Alex, our organization’s Co-Founder and President, is also gifted in the area of Pastoral Care, having counseled hundreds of people throughout his time in full-time ministry. Alex is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles with a Masters in Social Work.
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Shunna serves as the CEO of Reach Up Reach Out and when she isn't overseeing the day-to-day operations she also serves as a ministry consultant, assisting organizations in strategy and event planning. Shunna graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a degree in History. Shunna and Alex have been married for 27 years and use their powerful story to help other couples in need.
The Jones-Morenos recognize that the needs in our world can be overwhelming, but if we are willing to engage with the need, it can also be life-changing. In 2014, Alex, Shunna, and their daughter, Layla, moved to Uganda for seven months while going through the adoption process for their son Caleb. After living abroad, it wasn’t enough to merely see the enormous need at the orphanage where Caleb lived. They wanted to be part of the solution in meeting the needs of the 500 other orphans. And so the dream to launch Reach Up Reach Out officially began in 2015.
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This family wholeheartedly has a mandate to share the gospel of Jesus worldwide and bring justice, hope, dignity, and care to orphans, widows, and vulnerable people. For the past 10 years, they have expressed this mandate through Reach Up Reach Out, serving the vulnerable not only in Uganda, where Caleb was born, but also in Kenya, Mexico, Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala, and locally in Los Angeles, California. Throwing Christmas parties, facilitating sponsorship programs for children and widows, hosting summer arts camps, and meeting practical needs through their ministry partners.
What a journey of love it has been, with many miracles and also not without its heartache and pain. Caleb was diagnosed with Stage 4 bone cancer in April 2019 and valiantly fought with courage, faith, and his iconic smile. On February 14, 2024, Caleb, The Forever Healed One, went home to be with Jesus. This moment has marked the Jones-Moreno family and Reach Up Reach Out. But Caleb, who inspired the creation of RURO and embodied our mission and vision, lives on as we continue to “Do Good” everywhere we go. We are grateful and committed to continuing our mandate and carrying on his legacy.
