REACH
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Mission Statement
The REACH vision is that HIV-positive children, families, and adults flourish with dignity and self-worth in the face of persistent rejection and isolation.
About This Cause
A family with HIV. Child bullied; family rejected. Strengthened to flourish. REACH offers unconditional acceptance and a safe relational community for over 350 individuals and family members in the Pacific Northwest facing the medical, social, and psychological challenges of living with HIV. The REACH staff is motivated to serve because of our faith in Jesus Christ; however, we do not preach or proselytize. Children, families, and volunteers from all backgrounds, religions, and philosophies participate at REACH because of our core value of acceptance. All are welcome. REACH is committed to: • UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE … We treasure who you are. • COMMUNITY … We journey through life together. • JOY … We play and laugh together. • TRUST … It’s safe to be you. Still today, children and families affected by HIV suffer malicious judgment and rejection. Result: depression, anxiety, despair, loneliness, shame, and feelings of worthlessness. Rejection is especially painful when coming from good people: “We can’t tell our parents that our adopted child has HIV.” For them, REACH is family. Persistent rejection “breaks” teens and young adults. They stop taking their medications, unable to bear daily reminders they’ll always have HIV. They trust us, so they tell us. We encourage, and they return to health. They tell us that without REACH they probably would have given up. Through REACH, children and families learn resilience and find hope for a joyful life. Flourish: Consider a child who deeply grieved the loss of her mother at age 11 and was withdrawn at REACH Camp. Over the years she formed deep, trusting friendships with her peer campers. One day as a teenager, while in line at a grocery store, she heard a woman in front of her say, “Nothing good ever came from AIDS.” Our teen tapped her on the shoulder and said, “Excuse me, I did. I was born with it.” From an isolated, sad little girl, we have watched her blossom into a confident young adult. That is hope. That is flourishing. REACH is distinct from other organizations serving children with HIV. We serve the entire family, not just the HIV-positive child, because HIV affects the whole family. Also, we offer more than stand-alone activities. Throughout the year we provide mentors, personal home visits, weekend family camps, community-gathering picnics and holiday parties, and encouraging calls and notes to offer hope and continuous affirmation. A teen said, "REACH is where I get to be my most phenomenal me!" A parent said, "Before REACH, we had NO safe community." Others have said: “I can’t talk about any of this stuff with anyone else.” Imagine finding out that your teenage granddaughter and her infant are HIV-positive. HIV-positive men abused her "on the streets," and without prenatal care, her baby was born with HIV. You search for a safe community who will understand. At REACH you saw her surrounded by new, loving friends, and you can't stop smiling. You can’t stop thanking REACH for showing her they can have a happy future. Community impact: In short, many participants say their lives would be “a wreck without REACH.” Some even say they might have succumbed to life-threatening influences and might not still “be here” without REACH. Through REACH they overcome and thrive. For example, a REACH family adopted an HIV-positive preschooler from Africa. They couldn't have known how many people would vigorously question them about his constant doctor appointments, which threatened their ability to keep this private. They knew disclosure would lead to painful rejection for the whole family. Furthermore, they bore the brunt of their child’s challenging behaviors, stemming from the pre-adoption trauma he suffered because of HIV. They became desperate to connect with families in the same boat. With REACH, they feel a rush of hope. They see children's, even teenagers', faces full of joy. They rejoice with a vision that their child can have a flourishing future too.