Our Imperative
The REACH Imperative is to strengthen the fabric of the community by engaging university and community partners to eliminate social and financial inequities in college towns around the country.
REACH History
The REACH Project is a nonprofit organization founded in 2017 by Max Gerall, an A&M undergrad whose friendship with a cafeteria worker led to his realization that the 3,000 contract service workers on campus were virtually unknown and unseen, but essential members of the community. They cook the meals, clean the dorms and classrooms, fix the toilets, and keep the campus beautifully maintained, yet they are poorly paid, anonymous, and their value unacknowledged.
Not a legislator, politician, or institutional administrator; what could he do to ameliorate the hardships workers endured because of their unsustainable wages? He realized that what he and other Aggie students did have were time, knowledge, and a commitment to selfless service. With those resources, he developed High Impact Service-learning Opportunities (HISOs), a platform that provides mutually beneficial engagements between students and the service workforce. HISO’s leverage student knowledge critical to the workforce in overcoming multigenerational poverty, while offering students opportunities for experiential learning, soft skill development, and relationships that instill and nurture empathy for a life of service,
REACH kicked off its first programs in 2018, in response to the expressed need of the uninsured workforce for healthcare. Staffed by students from the Health Sciences Center, REACH hosted pop-up clinics and Health & Wellness Fairs on campus. In 2018 and 2019, more than 400 workers and their families attended these events. At the same time, REACH was helping students create their own AgsREACH organization, working with BUILD on the design and construction of its free health clinic (generously funded by a Strategic Philanthropy Grant) and the development of its lifelong learning, personal finance, and homeownership programs.
Early in 2020, COVID-19 came to Texas A&M. As the campus emptied out, service workers were laid off and furloughed. REACH pivoted and implemented its COVID Emergency Response. Over the course of the next 12 months, approximately 700 families were served 200,000 pounds of produce, 40,000 locally sourced restaurant meals, 7,500 USDA Meal Boxes, and 6,000 pounds of frozen meat, by 240 student volunteers. REACH initiated opening on campus Warming Centers, and drive-thru health clinics.
In the second half of 2020, REACH delivered its first courses in finance, ESL, and homeownership. Since then, the number of participants doubled each course offering (with a 98% retention rate), as has the number of student volunteers and interns. Today, more than 300 students representing 28 different majors regularly serve more than 800 families by providing access to food and healthcare, including vision, dental, and breast health clinics, food-producing home gardening, pet Vet clinics, as well as Everyday ESL, and the REACH Journey Home. Three participants have become homeowners; 7 more have qualified.
REACH Team
Max Gerall
max@txreachproject.org
Coque Olaosebikan
coque@txreachproject.org
Chrissy Ransome
chrissy@txreachproject.org
REACH Board Of Directors
The REACH Board of Directors is a small but dedicated and hard-working team of founding members and community leaders. As the organization continues to grow, so too does its board, increasing its capacity to accomplish its goals.
Dr. William Brown
President
Dr. Regina Beard
Vice President
Dr. Jonathan Shipley
Secretary
Katherine Moore
Debbie Eller
Rev. Andrew Terry
Jena Roscoe
Felicia Benford
AGSREACH
AgsREACH is a chartered student organization supporting REACH’s work on the Texas A&M campus by fostering meaningful connections between students and the service workforce, and creating a pipeline of student volunteers.
REACH Community Leaders Subcommittees
The REACH Community Leaders Subcommittees give voice to the workforce REACH serves. The Community Board ensures that REACH programs and services reflect the workforce’s needs and priorities, are easily accessible give and are delivered with respect and dignity.
REACH Highlights
Jan. 2017
Founding members incorporated The REACH Project in the State of Texas
Jan. 2018
Recieved IRS 501c3 status
Oct. 2018
Launched REACH Community Leaders Board
Dec. 2018
Finalized community survey of 181 families
Mar. 2019
Hosted first pop-up clinic
Partner: TAMU College of Pharmacy
May 2019
Launched the REACH12 A&M Faculty and Community
Leaders Advisory Board
Sep. 2019
Launched first semi-annual Family Health & Wellness Fair (101 attendees)
Partners: TAMU Colleges of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Public Health
Jan. 2020
Received largest grant in class history from Strategic
Philanthropy for BUILD Container Clinics
Apr. 2020
Launched REACH Community Alliance to purchase 34,000
meals for laid-off families during COVID-19 pandemic
Partners: Papa Perez, Good Bull BBQ, The Village, Hungry Howies, Double Daves, Laynes, Admiral Catering, Chartwells Catering, and Mad Taco
Sept. 2020
Innovation X Grant for Care Sheds
Partner: TAMU College of Architecture
Oct. 2020
Launched 7 Step Journey to Homeownership Course (51
participants)
Partners: Junior Achievement, American Momentum Bank, Frost Bank, and City of College Station
Dec. 2020
Hosted first Family Farm Day
Dec. 2020
Hosted first Angel Tree Drive-Thru (128 families)
Partner: Ags REACH
Jan. 2021
Acquired permanent office and classroom spaces
Partner: McFerrin Center for Entreprenuership
Feb. 2021
Collaborated on TAMU Warming Center
Feb. 2021
Administered 181 Emergency Response Grants from
winter storm
Partner: Stylecraft Builders
Apr. 2021
Hosted first Pet Health Fair
Partners: TAMU College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical
Sciences and Banfield Foundation
Apr. 2021
First graduate of 7 Step Journey to Homeownership qualified for a home loan
May 2021
Donated first car to REACH family member
Partner: OnRamp
Jun. 2021
Launched first ESL course (35 participants)
Jul. 2021
Hosted first Von’s Vision Day
Partners: Von’s Vision, TAMU Student Health Services, and Aggieland Credit Union
Aug. 2021
Held first free mammogram screenings
Partner: The Rose
Sep. 2021
Partnered to build 5 homes for REACH family graduates
Partner: Stylecraft Builders
Oct. 2021
Gained partnership with Operation Hope
Nov. 2021
Fall Festival
Partner: AMC
Nov. 2021
Thanksgiving meal giveaway on Thanksgiving Day
Partner: Agape Church
Dec. 2021
First Angel Tree Drive with Agape Church
Partner: Agape Church
Feb. 2022
Launched One Million Black Businesses (1MBB) Program
Partner: Operation HOPE, Square Inc, The McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship
Feb. 2022
Hosted first REACH for the Stars Fundraiser
March 2022
Hosted first REACH Eye Clinics
Partner: Noon Lions Club
April 2022
Hosted first REACH Leadership Workshop for Davila Middle School
May 2022
1MBB Pitch Competition