Who We Are

The idea for the Rural Empowerment Association for Community Help (REACH), a 501.c3 organization, was conceived immediately after Hurricane Floyd in 1999 when a few grassroots leaders realized that the community was lacking several services to appropriately and adequately respond to needs of Duplin County., particularly the needs of low-income residents. Hurricane Floyd left many families in need of housing, food, clothing, other basic needs and other much needed support. Being a rural area made up several very small towns, the community lacked an infrastructure and the accompanying social services that urban communities take for granted. Even adjacent counties to the north and south had programs and services in place to immediately begin to respond to the disastrous situation. For Duplin County, the hurricane caused a major crisis that ultimately resulted in chaos and conflict, revealing problems that had heretofore gone unidentified. Initially, there was much confusion about the extent of the devastation and who was responsible for reparation and compensation. Community-based organizations were practically non-existent, and there were no local disaster response agencies, so Red Cross, Salvation Army, and United Way services were brought in from other counties.

Immediately after the flood, REACH founders became involved in discussion groups that were concerned about the need for housing for low/moderate income families and the need for constructive, extracurricular programs for youth. A search began for space for such a center. REACH was thus formed, with the help of a few small grants and dedicated volunteers and staff.

REACH was designed to address problems stemming from mental and emotional oppression, economic inadequacies, employment and education needs, lack of single family housing, racial and cultural imbalances, and limited youth programs and services. REACH’s mission is to help people make progress towards creating and achieving life goals that will result in economic and personal empowerment. Not only will they have their basic human needs met, they will also have equal opportunities and access to quality education, employment, housing, recreation, and programs for youth. Through building a strong coalition of citizens from all walks of life, REACH collaborates to empower its Board, its constituents and the entire community. REACH’s goal is to collaborate with other agencies to assist Duplin County residents achieving a higher social and economic way of living and enjoying a better quality of life. Board members and other concerned members of the coalition are dedicated to diversity in creating and building a stronger community for initiating systemic change in Duplin County.

Past and present REACH activities include organized meetings of concerned citizens to build a stronger, more cohesive community; information about educational opportunities for Latinos/as; housing counseling and homeowner education for low-income residents; small business development for grassroots residents to form both nonprofit and for-profit corporations; and emergency assistance for qualified families experiencing crises due to lay-offs, extensive illnesses, and/or disability.