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Not everyone has equal access to food, healthcare, finances, education and housing, but the REACH Project hopes to change that.
Seeing a need to help the “essential Aggies” — underrepresented workers such as food service staff, custodians, and others in the community — Max Gerall launched the REACH Project in 2017 in order to build a bridge for these essential workers and other working-wage families in the community. The REACH Project's imperative is to strengthen the fabric of the community by engaging university and community partners to eliminate social and financial inequities in college towns and beyond.
The program was inspired by a cafeteria worker, Melissa Martinez, who encouraged and cared for Max during his time as a student at Texas A&M University. Without Melissa, he says he likely would not have graduated from college.
“I wasn't really sure college was for me,” Max says. “She saw me, saw my pain, and she did everything she could to encourage me to stick it out … She also opened my eyes to who I call the essential Aggies.”
Through Melissa, Max was introduced to a number of other essential workers at Texas A&M, and as he heard their stories — both uplifting and disheartening — he knew a change was needed, and decided he would initiate that change.
“When the shocking stories started to become a little more prevalent than the beautiful ones, I realized something had to be done,” Max says.
Since its inception in 2017, the REACH Project has invested in a number of projects for essential Aggies and others in the community, including education for financial literacy, ESL and other lifelong learning concepts; providing healthcare resources and navigation support; and working to bridge the housing gap for many working wage families in Brazos Valley. The program has also spearheaded a number of fundraisers for workers who have needed a little extra help from their Aggie family for medical or other vital needs.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the REACH Project was essential in helping to meet the needs of laid-off or furloughed individuals in Brazos Valley, including providing thousands of locally sourced meals, helping with voter registration, holding drive-thru and virtual health fairs, as well as serving 128 families in the Angel Tree Christmas program.
With a variety of programs, we chatted with Max to learn more about a few of the larger projects in the works.
Entrepreneurship Journey Program
The REACH Entrepreneurship Journey Program is dedicated to inspiring, educating and supporting local, aspiring entrepreneurs to launch and grow their business pursuits to their full potential. With such a booming number of local businesses in the area, Max says this program is extremely popular in the Brazos Valley.
“Here in Bryan/College Station, the appetite for entrepreneurship is through the roof,” Max says. “Many working families have side hustles and side gigs, and so our inspiration was figuring out how we can help families take that side gig and turn it into a successful, sustainable, full time job.”
In partnership with the McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship at Texas A&M University and Operation Hope, the REACH Project hosts a complete entrepreneurial course, ranging from financial and business basics to specialized workshops on marketing, strategy and other essential skills for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs.
“This comprehensive course includes an educational series that can extend up to 27 weeks,” Max says. “Not only do participants receive formal education in a classroom studying from professors and industry leaders, but they also get opportunities to network and build confidence.”
After the course, entrepreneurs can continue to receive help through an ongoing support network, including access to consultants, mentors, and even competitions with seed funding, Max says. The second round of these classes are set to begin this spring, and will help even more people launch their own businesses.
“The next Entrepreneurship Journey iteration will start in March,” Max says. “We currently have 35 individuals registered, and a growing wait-list. We are excited to support these entrepreneurs and help inspire them to launch their first business or take their current business to the next level!”
REACH 4 Home Village
Early on, Max met many essential Aggies who needed help in the housing sector. REACH has worked to meet this need with a class dedicated to helping essential workers navigate and accomplish steps towards homeownership.
However, after meeting Ms. Hernandez, an omelet chef at Sbisa Dining Hall who lost her home and had to couch surf to keep her daughter at the same school, and keep her job after the passing of her mother, Max knew he had to do more.
“I started thinking, what if we could create a location where likeminded individuals who are focusing on obtaining similar goals could live in the community with onsite access to resources,” Max says.
Currently, the first REACH 4 Home Village is planned near the Sue Haswell Park in Bryan, allowing residents to grow together in their journey toward homeownership.
“The first village will house approximately 24 rental units with a community center on site, community gardens, walking trails and picnic areas,” Max says. “We wanted to really focus on not only the access to education, but the connection to the community.”
Not only will the REACH 4 Home Village help to house and create a safe place for essential workers and their families, it will also help the community in a variety of ways, including increasing tax income for the city, increasing access to health care and reducing wait times at emergency rooms, Max says.
“We're trying to ensure that we aren't perceived as another housing project or state subsidized housing program, but rather an education community that can really benefit everyone,” Max says.
CLINT Teams
The REACH Project's has also been providing much needed healthcare resources and navigation support for essential workers and their families, who lack access to medical care due to the cost burden of health insurance, or other financial barriers.
“Many workers have other financial obligations that take priority, and so they are not able to tend to their healthcare needs until larger problems arise,” Max says. “Usually they wait until the problem is so bad it can't be ignored,” Max says. “That problem, which could have been handled at a much earlier stage, like a diabetes diagnosis, turns into an emergency room visit, which is usually not covered by insurance.”
To address the health and social needs of working-wage families before they result in more serious problems, the REACH Project is providing CLINT (Client Interprofessional Navigation Teams) teams, comprised of health professions students at Texas A&M — including nursing, medical, public health, and other students — with oversight and support from community health professionals. CLINT teams help assess social determinants of health and other health needs of patients, and then identify helpful resources and provide navigation support for families to access those resources.
“In conjunction with the students, medical professionals from St. Joseph Health will assist in teaching students and ensuring needs of our families are met.” Max says. “Although it is student-led, for legality reasons, and for ensuring the best quality for our patients, there will be oversight from medical professionals,” Max says.
According to Max, not only will more health needs of the essential workers be met, but students will also have the benefit of gaining hands-on experience while helping make the community healthier.
“Most importantly, it helps really develop or expand your sense of empathy,” Max says. “Many times, students come from upper middle class communities. If you're not exposed to low income or essential employees, you don't really know their struggles.”
While these services are free to patients, Max says this is only part of the process. The REACH Project hopes to get workers connected with a regular source of healthcare so their needs can consistently be attended to as needed.
“Our plan is to get them into the formal health care system so that they can participate in a more robust, more beneficial health care system,” Max says. “That way they’re not reliant on a walk-in once a week.”
In addition to CLINT teams, the REACH Project hosts drive-thru health fairs and other health programs including eye and dental exams and vaccination drives.
REACH 4 the Stars Annual Luncheon
In March, REACH will be hosting its annual event, the REACH 4 the Stars: Beacons of Light Awards luncheon and fundraiser. This celebration of the Texas A&M community will share the story and impact of REACH, honor student beacons of light and provide attendees an opportunity to support the organization.
The REACH for the Stars luncheon will be held on Friday, March 24 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center. Networking reception will begin at 11 a.m. and the lunch program will begin at noon. For more event information and for sponsorship opportunities, contact Jillian Warriner, Director of Operations at the REACH Project at jwarriner@txreachproject.org.
For more information about the REACH Project or to donate to the program, visit reach4home.org.
