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REACH Mission & History
MISSION:
REACH of Jackson County, Inc. is committed to promoting economic self-sufficiency and zero tolerance for domestic violence and sexual assault in our community.
HISTORY:
1978: REACH of Jackson County, Inc. was founded (under the name of REACH) as a grassroots, all volunteer organization whose mission was to respond to the prevalence of domestic and sexual violence in the western North Carolina counties of Haywood, Macon, and Jackson. REACH, which stands for Resources, Education, Advocacy, Counseling, Housing, was one of the first programs in North Carolina to address the problem of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Volunteers fielded crisis calls for the counties of Haywood and Macon in addition to Jackson County. Battered women were sheltered within homes of volunteers or in local motels.
1981: The three counties decided to separate and form independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organizations, each focusing on local solutions to the problem of spousal battering.
1984: REACH of Jackson County received its first grant and hired a full time director. Additional grants were received from state and federal sources.
1985: A social worker was hired to work with victims of abuse.
1986: A Legislative Advocate was added to staff. At this time, battered women were allowed 3 nights of shelter in a local motel. During this 3 day span, they were expected to make other arrangements for housing themselves and their children. The vast majority returned to their abuser.
1987: REACH of Jackson County extended its services to again include Macon County. Macon OutREACH (the satellite program) operated until 1990 when Macon County once more took over operations for their county.
1988: REACH Board of Directors decided to purchase a house in Sylva, NC to serve as a shelter home. This opened up an entirely new level of services to battered women and their children. A client could now stay for up to 90 days (or longer, depending on circumstances) and could receive counseling, legal advocacy, support of other clients, and intensive referral assistance. The longer stay allowed clients the time to heal and make decisions. The number of clients choosing to return to their abusers decreased, but still remained high. It became increasingly clear to staff and the Board of Directors alike that the problems faced by battered women are extremely complex and not quickly or easily solved.
1989: Between 1986 and 1989 the annual budget of REACH grew from $20,000 to $125,000. The number of clients served increased each year. REACH staff was instrumental in working at the state level to enact the 50B domestic violence protective order legislation and to repeal the marital rape exclusion. REACH began to earn the respect, support, and cooperation of law enforcement, Department of Social Services, local churches, and the Jackson County Commissioners.
1990: From 1990 until 1994, REACH of Jackson County underwent challenges of growth and leadership. Funding dropped and services declined.
1994: Under the focused leadership of its new Executive Director, Ms. Jean Bockstahler, REACH began to reclaim its position within the service structure of the community. In the years to follow, the staff of REACH grew to 10 full-time and 2 part-time professional employees, and broadened its scope of services.
1995: Using a $5,000 grant from the Community Foundation, the REACH Thrift Store & More Boutique opened. Gross sales from the store would total over $150,000 in sales by 2005, generating a steady stream of revenue for the agency and providing a much-needed service within the community.
Also in 1995, the Work Initiative Network (WIN) program was started to provide specialized services to displaced homemakers and single parents who are unemployed or underemployed. The WIN program was highly successful in helping women to enter the job market, improve their education and job skills, reduce dependency on social services, and move toward economic self-sufficiency.
To more accurately reflect what this program provides, the WIN program name was changed to the WINNERS Circle-Work Initiative Network's Necessary Education and Resources for Success.
1996: The Board of Directors began planning for the development of transitional housing, a project that would provide residency in a structured system of multiple supports for between two and four years--enough time for new skills to be learned, practiced, and integrated into a stable, productive lifestyle.
1999: The Board of Directors agreed that while the services provided are significant and necessary, more was needed to help families make lasting change. The Board decided to actively pursue the development of transitional housing. REACH of Jackson County acquired a structure which was to be renovated into an emergency shelter. REACH purchased 2.33 acres of land to become the site of nine transitional housing apartment units, called REACH Village.
REACH opened The Community Table, a food outreach restaurant that serves dinner four nights a week for the cost of a donation only. In its first year, The Community Table served 13,000 meals to residents of the county, many of whom are elderly, disabled, or in the ranks of the "working poor"--earning minimum wage, without benefits, or living one paycheck from hunger and homelessness.
2000: In March, the Board voted unanimously to proceed with the REACH Village project, which had an estimated building cost of $1.2 million dollars. REACH secured long-term low-interest loans, and construction began.
The Board of Directors employed a strategic planning process and developed a new mission statement, emphasizing the need to promote economic self-sufficiency and zero tolerance for domestic violence and sexual assault.
It became clear that the REACH organization was overly dependent on state and federal grants. New strategies were developed that recognize the need to develop local annual funding sources and capital giving campaigns. The importance of forging alliances with businesses also became clear.
2001: In March, renovations were completed on the existing structure which was purchased to become the emergency shelter. There was a ground-breaking ceremony for REACH Village, and construction on the nine-unit project began.
In 2001, North Carolina unified all of its displaced homemaker programs with a common name--New Choices. The current REACH program, New Choices of Jackson County, is partially funded by the state and has its roots in the WIN program and WINNERS Circle.
A group of local pastors and interested individuals successfully applied for a separate non-exempt status for The Community Table.
2002: The nine-unit REACH Village project was completed in February and a capital campaign was scheduled for late 2005, aimed at reducing the debt and paying for the REACH Village project. The Village was recognized statewide as an innovative program, and was nominated for several awards.
2003: The Board of Directors and staff of REACH became concerned that children who are primary or secondary victims of domestic violence and sexual assault would become lost in the upheaval and collapse of the existing North Carolina mental health system. REACH committed to implementing a regional children's and teen's counseling center called KidREACH. This center was located in an existing house on the grounds of REACH Village.
A KidREACH director was hired and the center began providing clinical assessments, counseling, parenting & communication skills, anger & stress management, advocacy, and linkage to community services. Personnel took a lead role in education and prevention in the community; services were provided both at KidREACH and off-site. In the first two years of operation, over 70 children received counseling and/or intensive services.
Also in 2003, REACH received a grant to expand its services to sexual assault and rape victims. A multidisciplinary team of mental health, social services, and legal experts was formed to serve victims in Jackson County. A rape crisis center was established to operate within the REACH administrative facility and the REACH Out program for sexual assault and rape victims was created.
TODAY: Since 1978, REACH of Jackson County, Inc. has emphasized empowerment, personal responsibility, skill building, realistic assessment of strengths and liabilities, and belief in the individual's ability to care for self and family.
REACH of Jackson County is recognized as a leading human services resource, and provides a comprehensive array of services to the community ranging from crisis intervention to public education. REACH works collaboratively with all other agencies, and takes a leadership role in advancing new client service models that reduce duplication of effort and maximize the limited dollar resources available to all of us.