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REACH News
June 2021
Housing is a Human Right
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Understanding our organization's bylaws
The REACH Board extends a thank you to Anita Pelletier, an attorney with Nixon Peabody LLP, who shared information at our last board meeting about conflict of interest as it applies to a not-for-profit organization.
All of us gained a great deal from Anita’s presentation and we are most appreciative to Anita and Nixon Peabody for this session.
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Budget 2020 - 2021 The Board asked the Finance Committee to review the submissions from Administration, Shelter, and Tiny Homes with the Treasurer and present the Budget at the July meeting.
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Help Wanted - REACH needs two volunteers |
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We learned that Deb McKinzie, due to family concerns, had to resign as our development consultant. The Board would love to hear from anyone who has experience in fund raising and has a compassion for those experiencing homelessness.
We are looking for someone to volunteer about six hours per month to assist us with our capital campaign. Please write us at reachrochester@gmail.com.
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REACH Board is looking for an Assistant Administrator to help give the REACH secretary relief from her current load. We believe that this would take about six to eight hours of volunteer time per month.
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Conversation with the Coptic Christian Community is continuing. We are hoping to sign a lease next month. Exciting plans for the full use of this building will be in the July Newsletter.
Plans for our winter shelter are in process. Look for details in the July Newsletter.
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Our Street Outreach continues.... |
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Since November 2020 we met an estimated 2500 people, distributed 1360 lunches, as well as masks, sanitizers, gloves, hats, socks, hygiene bags, and blankets.
We assisted several each week to get to detox programs, emergency housing, permanent housing, DHS benefits for temporary housing, and SNAP benefits.
And we were on Spectrum News! Click on this photo to see the full report.
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We were supported by the Girl Scouts! Read this note from their leaders:
Hi Sarah:
Here are some photos taken at the Personal Care Kit drive that GSWNY Willams Park SU Troop 60303 held to collect donations. Over 100 Personal Care Kits were assembled as a result of the drive along with miscellaneous items that were donated for distribution in the community.
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In addition the troop was able to donate $500 to Father Tracy Center to aid them in their community outreach. Thank you for allowing us to take part in such an important initiative. We are truly blessed.
Kim Brown & Romanda Gibson Stevenson
Troop 60303 Troop Leaders
In the center is Rudy Rivera, Executive Director of the Fr. Tracy Center. We are blessed with Rudy's presence on our Board and the collaboration of the Center in this year's Street Outreach. REACH sends a big THANK YOU to Troop 60303.
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What do you know about street outreach? Here is a brief summary:
"Street outreach is an effective intervention that provides immediate needs such as food and clothing to vulnerable, hard-to-reach individuals; it also builds trusting relationships in an effort to eventually connect individuals to more mainstream services. This harm reduction approach puts the person first by being non-judgmental, going to them, and not forcing them to accept services." (Excerpted from a draft of a paper on street outreach by Janelle Duda-Banwar, Ph.D. who, in addition to being a research scholar at RIT, is a member of the REACH Board.)
REACH strives to make sure that every person we meet is treated with dignity.
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Appointment of Committee Chair:
Marcia Reaver joined the Tiny Home Committee in early 2019. She brings knowledge of residential construction and nonprofit management to the committee. As a resident of the City, she actively participates in governmental affairs. She came to REACH after retiring in 2018 because she believes that "housing first" is the only way out of homelessness and poverty.
Workforce Development Meeting:
Members of the committee met with Edison Career and Technology High School administration and faculty. They have five programs that could bring significant in-kind labor to the project. REACH values collaborating with other agencies in mentoring city youth.
New Partners
Penfield Presbyterian Church has agreed to give collaborative support to the Tiny Home Village Project.
What do we need to get to our goal?
We need someone who will work on sourcing possible donors of construction materials. We could decrease our cash needs significantly with these commitments. This person would need good research skills to do internet searches and compile a report with the information. We would provide them with a list of materials, some potential donors, and technical support.
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Our Tiny Home Village building fund...... |
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New Founders this month:
Ellen Asprooth and Mark Jackson
Amy Irish
Founders give $250 or more as we seek to raise $250,000 for the first phase of the village. To date Founders have given $75,718.
We received a $12,000 grant from the J.M. McDonald Foundation. Thank you!
As of now the REACH Tiny Home Village fund is at $143,358.
You too can become a Founder of the REACH Tiny Home Village. Donate $250 or more.
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Advocacy Opportunities etc. |
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Housing Our Neighbors with Dignity Act (HONDA)
We were present at a Rally in support of the HONDA Act (Housing Our Neighbors with Dignity Act at the old Cadillac Hotel.
Honda passed in the NYS Legislature!
We signed onto a letter to Governor Cuomo urging him to sign the bill.
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Do you know someone who may be facing an eviction hearing? |
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In NYS the rental moratorium has been extended to August 31. Here is a link to a useful summary of the current law with links to useful documents and/or resources created by LawNY. Please share.
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WE DO NOT HAVE A HOMELESS PROBLEM, WE HAVE A HOUSING PROBLEM! This is your editor's take away from two separate surveys reported to the Homeless Services Network (HSN) this past month. Each of them indicates that the absence of truly affordable housing leads many people to experience homelessness.
Help us spread the word: Housing is a Human Right. What we need are public policies that support this value.
Here is a thoughtful blog written in 2017 that is worth reading and discussing.
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We have a new Associate Editor! |
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Hi there! My name is Maria and I will be supporting Peter in the creation of the REACH monthly newsletters. That said, if you absolutely hate the newsletter in the coming months, blame Peter. Just kidding! (Sorry Peter)
A little about me:
- I'm an RIT alum. I graduated in May 2020 with a degree in Business Management and focus in the Nonprofit Sector and Urban Studies.
- I stumbled upon REACH in my sophomore year of college when looking for homeless shelters to support during the winter months. I organized a clothing drive at RIT and I've been following REACH ever since! For the past five years, I've been volunteering in the city through Foodlink, House of Mercy, the Public Market, RCSD, GCV&M, and as a Rochester Urban Fellow.
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- Each time I volunteer, I learn more about the challenges residents face but also about the many strengths of this city and its members. My hope is to learn as much as I can from folks in Rochester and find ways to effect change where needed.
- My full time gig is working in Community Engagement and Partnerships for a nonprofit called Learning Ally. Learning Ally's mission is to solve the massive literacy problem we have in the United States. I have the pleasure of working with over 1,000 volunteers and community partners to bring equitable access to education. I really enjoy civic engagement and love empowering people to be change makers in their communities.
- I'm passionate about mental and physical health, especially when it comes to youth. I hope to someday work directly on services that support children experiencing poverty. Helping kids, and people of all ages, discover their full potential and believe in their abilities is what drives me!
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I'm living in NJ for the time being, but travel to Rochester every so often to visit friends and grab a garbage plate (kidding again). I hope to meet many of you soon! If you're on LinkedIn, please feel free to connect and say hi to me.
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