Reaching the World Community Development Inc

The vision for Reaching the World is based upon the personal experience and inspiration of Deborah Hayden, the founder and current Executive Director. After leaving an abusive marriage during the 70s, Ms. Hayden and her then young children struggled financially. Due to her employment, she earned $20 more than the eligibility standard for qualifying for government food assistance. Thus, she sacrificed for many years as a working-poor mother providing for her children and carefully eating only the food her children left on their plates. She promised herself that if she and her children were ever delivered from this situation, she would devote her time, energy and extra resources to lifting other families out of poverty. To fulfill this promise, Ms. Hayden and her now loving and supportive husband have dedicated their time and personal financial resources to the clients served through Reaching the World.

Founded in 2009, Reaching the World was established on the principle that feeding the soul is as important as feeding the body. Our mission is to lift people out of despair and into productive lives of employment and service. Reaching the World began by holding monthly food distributions and providing emergency food supplies. After exploring the needs of our participants, we added our first "soul-feeding" program, a mentoring program for male youth. We secured the services of a volunteer counselor to advise teen clients on issues related to teen pregnancy prevention and avoiding gang association. Then we added counseling services designed to help clients with their emergency, immediate and overall needs for reaching self-sufficiency.

Reaching The World is proud to report the following 2010 accomplishments:

• Served more than 16,500 individuals and 8,100 families during 2010;

• Provided youth mentoring program for 7 male youth;

• Provided clothing and household goods to 7 victims of domestic violence and their children;

• Provided low-income families with more than $125,000 worth of in-kind baby items donated from Buy Buy Baby, Inc. such as: car seats, baby swings, strollers, pampers, baby clothes, baby bottles, baby monitors, baby furniture - cribs and changing tables.

 

Reaching the World invests 98% of funds on program expenses, 1% on administration, and less than 1% on fundraising.

Reaching the World is seeking funding to meet the immediate needs of homeless, low-income and working poor individuals and families. The majority of our clients are elderly and families. Some of the families have taken in nieces and nephews in addition to their own children so they have very large families to support during these tough economic times. Many of the elderly need food assistance to supplement their limited monthly benefits, but also seek someone to talk to as they are often living in isolation. The majority of our clients currently include: domestic violence survivors and their children, low-income elderly, individuals with mental health, substance abuse or co-existing disorders and people in economic distress due to unemployment, a one-time or ongoing medical and other emergencies.

The majority of the items we distribute are provided in-kind or at a minimal cost. We distribute these donated items by dividing what is available and ensuring that no one leaves empty-handed. As more families experience difficulties during this economic downturn, we need additional funding support to serve the additional clients' needs.

Our Thanksgiving Holiday Drive has raised the funds needed to provide 200 turkeys to low-income families this year.  Unfortunately, there is a waiting list with 400 more families requesting assistance and additional calls received every day.  Please help us ensure that no family is turned away.

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