By Isabel Cushing, REACH Intern This past Monday, I sat across from my grandma at an Italian restaurant in Boston, munching on garlic bread in the summer air. We looked over the menu and chatted about my packing list for school, and I laughingly complained about sore wrists and biceps from scooping ice cream at work earlier that day. I was completely at ease with our…
By Laurie Nee, REACH Volunteer I came to know REACH in 2014. I was invited to my first Reach for the Stars Gala by a dear friend, and had very little knowledge of the organization or their work. After the fun and excitement of a silent auction and a delicious dinner, I learned exactly what this amazing organization does. While listening to moving speeches by REACH’s…
By Angel Reyes, REACH volunteer Coming from Miami, Florida to Massachusetts was not an easy task for me. As an incoming 18-year-old college freshman, my goal in my first year in college was to play for the Lasell College Men’s Basketball Team and to be the best student I could be. Moving to another state was not easy, especially being away from my family and being…
Written by REACH Intern, Katharine Lammey, with support from REACH Intern, Senite Love On the morning of my first day as an intern at REACH, my supervisor, Lauren Montanaro, asked if I had heard about the news that would impact REACH’s work. I had woken up late that morning and had not had the chance to turn on the news for a few minutes like I…
by Steve Reed, REACH Board Member When Laura asked me to write a guest post about what masculinity means to me, I was caught off guard. Other than being a son, brother, husband, and father, what do I know about masculinity? To be honest, I’ve never really thought about it before. So, I did what anyone in 2018 would do, I Googled it. Turns out,…
Tell us about yourself! I am a 63- year old transgender female. I went through my transition 10 years ago, after a lifelong struggle with gender dysphoria. At the time of my transition, I really got rejected by a lot of people. My marriage ended, people refused to speak to me, I lost any kind of connection with my step-children. It was really tough… I found…
This week’s blog is a guest post from Sala, a recent graduate from Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management with a Master’s degree in International Development. Sala interned at REACH this past academic year and completed a research project on International Approaches to Ending Violence Against Women: A Comparative Study of Ghana and the United States. I was so excited when I received…
By Tamia Burkett Everyone is constantly seeking ways to support their loved ones during their time of need. Whether it be a friend with depression, a partner that is suicidal or a sibling that has been locked in their room for weeks. At times this can be frustrating. Maybe the advice you gave them, they didn’t take? Or maybe they did not do what you thought…
This week’s blog is a guest post from “Melissa,” a participant in REACH’s Community Program and a member of our Survivor Speakers Burea. On the first year after my split from my abusive marriage, I barely could survive and keep up with my bills. The idea of going through the Christmas season and celebrating was the last thing on my mind. So when I received a…
Throughout the month of October (Domestic Violence Awareness Month), REACH has been sharing content on the theme of “Creating Space for Change.” As Director of Prevention Programs Jessica Teperow shared earlier this week, the spaces we try to create are not so much physical spaces (although those ARE important and making a big difference!) but spaces for connection, transformation, and sometimes even laughter. As we look…
