Notes From the Board

  • We adopted our first ever corporate budget covering all aspects of the REACH organization. A big thanks to our Treasurer Kyle Geer along with the Finance Committee for this work. Our budget now gives us the challenge of meeting our goals! We appreciate all of those who have and are making commitments of support.

  • We elected Patrick Tobin to serve a two year term on our Board - see more below.

  • We received reports from our committee leaders - Shelter, Tiny Homes, Development.
Meet Patrick Tobin, Our Newest Board Member:

I am happily married for 47 years to my high school sweetheart, Lynne, have 2 children, Erin 46 and Cuyler 42. I am blessed with 6 grandchildren. 

I retired from working over 45 years this year on January 1st. I have had a wonderfully varied career in banking, construction and development. After 5 years of self-employment, I worked at Security Trust Company, which evolved into Norstar Bank and ultimately Fleet Bank (Bank of America)during my tenure there. I finished managing upstate New York’s commercial real estate efforts until 1994. After 20 years of commercial development in the nonprofit arena with DePaul Group and being President of a housing development company, specializing in senior and affordable housing, I finished my career as NYS Market President for a $9B bank based in Pennsylvania, S&T Bank. 

I have been highly involved with nonprofit organizations over my career. I presently sit on the following board: Pathstone Group, Pathstone Development Corporation, Rochester School for the Deaf and Al Sigl Facilities.  My experience has been with numerous other housing development organizations over the years.  

I look forward to my ability to assist in the mission of REACH Advocacy. 
Shelter Report
We are pleased to report that REACH and the Coptic Christian Community are joining together to support an outreach and shelter program at 720 W. Main Street. Full details will be announced in August.

As we build to this new work we anticipate the need for more funding. Please consider becoming a monthly supporter of our Shelter Committee's work.
Our Street Outreach Continues....
Here is a team of folk with the Jefferson Street Health Fair....you can see Kevin, Andy and Martin, (Andy's son) in the back row. This photo is courtesy of Deb Peiffer.
The next day we caught Andy with these folk from the left:

Jerome Underwood, CEO Action for A Better Community; Jocelyn Basley, JOIN (Jefferson Ave Outreach In the Neighborhood); Andy Carey, REACH and McCollaborative; and Carmen Allen, Exec Dir Beyond the Sanctuary at Memorial AME Zion Church and JOIN

We had a good chat with Carmen and learned more of the outreach ministries at Zion Church. We look forward to more collaborative efforts.
Got Coats? Donate Today!

Project Homeless Connect is hosting their annual September Coat Drive. Please consider donating coats for people experiencing homelessness during the cold winter months. Drop-off locations and more information can be found here.
Tiny Home News
We are pleased to note the addition of Patrick Tobin to the REACH board. His experience and expertise will be invaluable as we navigate the complexities of creating the first Tiny Home Village in Rochester for people living at or below 20% of the Area Median Income.

We asked, and someone answered. A long-term supporter of REACH Advocacy volunteered to create a much needed list of suppliers to contact for donations of construction materials for the project. Donations of construction materials will reduce the total cash needed for the project.

We held a second meeting with faculty and staff at Edison Career and Technology High School. We have a verbal agreement to provide workforce development opportunities to students in six of their programs. This win-win opportunity will offset some of our labor costs for the project as the students get real-world experience. The six programs are Architecture, Masonry, Electrical, Carpentry, Special Ed Carpentry, and Media. The media program will document the student’s work and publicize it to the general public putting both their programs and our project in the spotlight.

We need your help. Even with donations of goods and services, we need monetary donations to reach our goal and begin construction. Become a Founder of the REACH Tiny Home Village designate a donation of $250 or more for Tiny Homes.
We held a second meeting with faculty and staff at Edison Career and Technology High School. We have a verbal agreement to provide workforce development opportunities to students in six of their programs. This win-win opportunity will offset some of our labor costs for the project as the students get real-world experience. The six programs are Architecture, Masonry, Electrical, Carpentry, Special Ed Carpentry, and Media. The media program will document the student’s work and publicize it to the general public putting both their programs and our project in the spotlight.

We need your help. Even with donations of goods and services, we need monetary donations to reach our goal and begin construction. Become a Founder of the REACH Tiny Home Village designate a donation of $250 or more for Tiny Homes.
Tiny Home Village Building Fund
This has been a quiet month! We need to move the red up the glass.

Please consider becoming a founding member of the REACH Tiny Home Village. Make a donation of $250 or more to become a Founder of the Tiny Home Village.

This project will involve urban students in on the job training as we build, result in the creation of nine units of affordable supportive housing, and offer services to the neighborhood.
Advocacy Opportunities and Current Events
NYS Capital
Clean Slate Act - Many of our shelter guests have been incarcerated and face challenges in securing jobs and/or housing. This act will help to remove barriers for those trying to re-enter society as productive citizens. Reach Advocacy signed on as a supporting organization.

Please consider contacting your NYS legislators to let them know of your support for these bills. Contact your NYS legislators today.
Advice to Mayor Elect Malik Evans

Peter Peters, Chair of Advocacy, wrote an editorial on the issue of truly affordable housing in the Democrat and Chronicle.
Want to learn more about community control of land and housing?

Shelterforce is doing a series on this important topic. We will be working with the City Roots Community Land Trust for the building of our Tiny Home Village and we hope that our supporters will benefit from this series. Click here for more information. This is short notice, but there is a webinar on this series TODAY, July 15 at 2:00 p.m. Register here.
Additional Announcements
To our readers-- we want to say thank you for your interest in and support of REACH. Your ongoing support makes a huge difference in driving our mission forward.

We will not publish a Newsletter in August, but in late August we will be making some announcements concerning the Shelter and sending an invitation to our Annual Meeting in September. Stay tuned!