Caleb's Legacy of Love is a registered IRS 501(c)(3) non-profit created in memory of our son, Caleb Rickenbacher, to help those in need.
What We Do
Because our goal is to carry on Caleb's legacy of giving and helping all those in need, we have established the Caleb Rickenbacher Memorial Scholarship to the School of Christian Thought at Houston Christian University. We are pleased to announce Tresten McArthur as the first recipient of this scholarship. We are excited to see what God has in store for Tresten and future scholarship recipients going forward. In addition, we have given bags of toys and gift cards to families who needed a little extra at Christmas. It was always Caleb's heart that no child should be without presents on Christmas morning. We have also provided food and necessities for the homeless, especially those with pets because Caleb thought it was sad that the homeless would have to leave their pets behind if they wanted help at homeless shelters. At the start of this school year, we have helped families with their back-to-school clothing and supply needs.Going forward, we have a long term goal to create a homeless shelter for those with pets. We want to establish a place where the homeless can stay with their pets while getting the help they need. Our goal is to help the homeless and those in need to make positive life changes.There is more to come; so stay tuned!!
Why a Butterfly as our Logo?
Caleb had a butterfly tattoo on his chest because he had pectus excavatum (an indentation in his chest), and he wanted people to notice the butterfly instead of the pectus excavatum. He chose a butterfly because he said that a butterfly starts out as a caterpillar that doesn’t do much but eat and devour plants. However, through a metamorphosis and a struggle to get out of its cocoon, it transfers into a beautiful butterfly. Likewise, we hope through Caleb’s Legacy of Love, we can help to transform the most tragic and horrific event that no parent should ever have to experience into a beautiful legacy of replacing pain with hope and encouragement as Caleb did.
Events
Caleb’s Legacy of Love would like to convey a sincere heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in our first annual Caleb’s Legacy of Love Golf Scramble Tournament! You, our wonderful Sponsors, Golfers, Auction Donors, Bidders, and Volunteers are all a part making this event such a success.We are thrilled to announce that the inaugural Caleb’s Legacy of Love Charity Golfer Tournament raised a little over $30,000!!As a result of your generosity, we will be able to provide an extra $25,000 to start two new scholarships in the Caleb Rickenbacher Memorial Scholarship to the School of Christian Thought at Houston Christian University. These two students will join Tresten McArthur, who was announce earlier this year as the first recipient of this scholarship. We are excited to see what God has in store for these three students in the coming years.The remaining $5,000 will be used for Operation Caleb’s Christmas, which consists of four parts: (1) supporting Houston’s First Baptist Church’s The Christmas Store; (2) working with a local store to identify needy families in the Houston area and paying off their Christmas layaways; (3) providing Christmas gifts to children in CPS custody; and (4) cooking for and feeding the homeless and their pets on Christmas Day. All of which were important to Caleb.We want to thank each of you for getting to know our son a bit more through this event and keeping Caleb’s Legacy alive. He was an extraordinary son and he would be thrilled that so many people came out to support the causes that were always so dear to him. Knowing that Caleb now lives on in each of you through getting to know him and his heart is priceless to us! We love and miss our Sonshine more than words can ever convey!
About Caleb
Caleb went to be with the Lord on November 19, 2022, at the age of 20, a life cut too short. Caleb was murdered by a man who ran from a police stop because he stole a vehicle, among other things. He was driving at a high rate of speed on the wrong side of a divided road. When Caleb saw him coming at him and knew he couldn't avoid a crash, he swerved his car saving his girlfriend's life. Caleb died a hero, but the devastation we have felt since is indescribable.Caleb was born on March 1, 2002 in Houston, TX. He moved with his parents to Bartlesville, OK and then to Doha, Qatar, where he lived his childhood years, before returning to Houston when he was eleven. Caleb loved to travel and visited several countries and several States during his 20 years. He and his mom made it a goal to visit all the Disney Worlds, which they accomplished as a family, and Caleb and his dad made a Father-Son ski trip every year. Throughout his life Caleb was active in church and volunteered for many mission trips. He and his dad were remodeling a condo at the time of his death and he was pursuing a business / criminal justice dual degree, with plans for a career in criminal justice. He enjoyed cooking, was an excellent chef, and loved passing out food to the homeless and those in need. He also volunteered with the suicide prevention hotline. Caleb’s favorite saying, which he had tattooed on his arm, was, “It’s Only a Bad Day, Not a Bad Life.”Finally, we take comfort in knowing Caleb is in Heaven. Caleb accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior and sought forgiveness of his sins, which God freely gives when asked. This gives us the assurance that he is with Jesus today in Heaven. If you would like to know more about how you can have this assurance when you die, please reach out to us at [email protected].
Contact Us
Melissa and Gary Rickenbacher proudly honor Caleb as the caretakers of Caleb's Legacy of Love. You can reach us at the email address shown below or clicking on the email icon. You can also follow us on Facebook by clicking on the Facebook icon below.
Donate
If you are interested in donating to Caleb's Legacy of Love, you have several options, all of which are tax deductible. You can make out a check to Caleb's Legacy of Love and send to 15802 Rosethorn Ct, Cypress, TX 77429. To donate via Venmo, click on the QR Code icon below. To donate by credit or debit card or by PayPal, click on the yellow Donate button.
[email protected]IRS EIN 93-3965665
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