About Us.
Who We Are
The Reach Center is a Non-Profit 501c3 organization in North Central Arkansas that specializes in helping people break cycles of poverty and displacement through education, mentorship, practical resources, and compassionate support.
Our Mission
To offer people in our community and beyond a hand-up and not just a hand-out.
Our Vision
The Reach Center was formed out of a vision to see that people receive not just a hand-out, but a hand-up when they are facing life’s struggles. We do this by focusing our resources on breaking the cycle of poverty and displacement rather than creating a cycle of dependency. Our life skills classes and emergency shelter all function with the goal of helping individuals and families achieve self-reliance and sustainability that last generations, not just seasons.
Our Principles
1. We go big on help for body and soul. We want freedom for the entire person, meaning we care for both the body (physical needs) and the soul (spiritual and relational needs). We provide short-term relief, long-term restoration, and development to the natural and social aspects of our communities. Through our supportive service programs the Reach Center hopes to foster an environment where individuals and families gain skills for long-term self-sufficiency and stability.
2. We're all broken in some way. Poverty comes in many forms, and it’s always a result of brokenness. Whether we lack material resources, meaningful relationships, or purpose, we all experience poverty in some way. So that we can reach out to all who long to mend their brokenness, the Reach Center will operate in all aspects with a low barrier for entry into our programs. This allows us to offer a place of hope for people where they are and not where we desire them to end up. We simply choose to walk alongside our neighbors in their brokenness.
3. Relief and restoration are different-but they both matter. We decide to run fast with relief, and go long with restoration. Relief is immediate, temporary help to reduce suffering during and after a crisis. Restoration happens through long-term relationships which rebuild people, families, and communities. Both matter. To offer relief, the Reach Center will provide immediate help to those in need by offering emergency shelter and safety to those in need. Restoration will come through goals and standards set forth by Reach Center mentors, backed by our own resources and those offered by our community partners.
4. We don't reinvent the wheel, we roll with it. We know our role. We are most effective when working with community organizations who are already making an impact in our community. To do it right, the Reach Center will continue to build relationships with these organizations and act as a funnel towards them. This helps to expand our ability as well as those we partner with to help people in need.
5. We come with questions, not answers. When we recognize the value of individuals and employ a "questions-not-answers" approach, they are empowered to take ownership of the solutions, resulting in increased strength and long-term success. The Reach Center aims to support individuals in recognizing their worth and provide guidance in nurturing their inherent strengths.