This April, REACH, Inc. Fund Development Director Joann Flora got what she called a “kick in the pants.”
She was watching the Kindness & Couture Fashion Show put on by the Juneau Rotaract, which was a joint fundraiser for the Rotaract and REACH. REACH, which serves those in Southeast Alaska with disabilities, had multiple people in the fashion show who benefitted from its services, and Flora noticed that the participants were loving the event.
“It was really cool to see how the individuals we served enjoyed something that was inclusive,” Flora said.
Now, REACH is putting on its own fundraiser. From 7-10 p.m. Saturday, REACH’s “Let’s Dance” event is going on at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center (JACC). Flora said this is the first public fundraiser that REACH has done, partially inspired by the fashion show and partially inspired by the organization’s desire to want to become more visible in the community.
For the most part, REACH has raised money through grants and billing for services, much like most health care organizations. Now, REACH is looking to get more outgoing.
“A lot of people know we’re a nice nonprofit doing work, but that’s not specific,” Flora said. “As times change, people knowing what we really do, what services we have, that matters.”
This event will likely not be the last of its kind, as Flora said the organization might want to do more fundraising events in the future. REACH is doing well financially at the moment, Flora said, but with federal funding for health care organizations somewhat up in the air and the state of health care nationally being debated in Washington, D.C., organizations such as REACH are starting to explore options for the future.
“This isn’t reactionary,” Flora said of the implementation of public fundraisers, “it’s more about seeing the possibility of a shift in the culture and trying to be proactive.”
Saturday’s event will feature live music from Gamble and the High Costa Living, as well as an Alaskan Brewing Co. beer garden, hors d’oeuvres and a live auction. Admission is $30 per person, and tickets can be purchased at The Canvas, the JACC and at jahc.org/box-office.
REACH, which celebrates its 40th anniversary next year, serves seven cities in Southeast — Haines, Hoonah, Juneau, Petersburg, Skagway, Wrangell and Yakutat — and serves 400 individuals and families while employing 300 people. Throughout the past 40 years, REACH leaders have adjusted to national trends in terms of services to provide, transitioning from children’s group homes to home-based support in the 1990s and starting to focus on community-based employment efforts in the 2000s.
Now, REACH is once again keeping an eye on national trends, though this time more from a fundraising standpoint as well as a services standpoint. Saturday’s event could be the start of a new, additional fundraising path for REACH.
“We decided that at this point in history, looking at what’s going on in the stat of Alaska and nationally,” Flora said, “this is a good time to reassess how we fund our programs.”
Correction: An earlier version of this article erroneously stated that REACH has offices in Haines, Hoonah, Juneau, Petersburg, Skagway, Wrangell and Yakutat. REACH serves all seven communities but only has offices in Haines, Juneau and Petersburg. The article has been changed. The Empire regrets this error.
• Contact reporter Alex McCarthy at alex.mccarthy@juneauempire.com.
