Strategic Plan Highlights: Year 1 - What We've Accomplished So Far

In July of 2025, we began work on our three-year strategic plan, developed with insight from staff, Board members, and community stakeholders. Our goals included one expanding the breadth and reach of our services, increasing opportunities to integrate and coordinate those services, and ensuring that we meet best practices while continuing to strive for excellence in everything we do.

We’ve reached the end of our fiscal year and the end of the first year of work towards the plan. What better time to reflect on the success and progress we’ve made so far?

"Any journey benefits from having a road map, or today, a GPS. The Reach Strategic Plan [...] has helped us keep our sights on where Reach is going. I’m thrilled with the progress that has been made this year and look forward to reviewing and, if necessary, adjusting the goals for the next year so that we fulfill our mission to empower those who are underserved in Montgomery County by addressing their essential needs."

• Judy Ackerman, Reach Board Chair

Mansfield Kaseman Health Clinic (MKHC)

To better meet the complex health needs of our patients, MKHC  expanded its specialty care provider network. Building upon our existing specialty services, we recruited and onboarded three new specialists: an endocrinologist, a physical therapist, and a neurologist. The integration of these new specialties directly drove an 81% year-over-year surge in service delivery, increasing the total specialty care visits from 418 to 758. Targeted outreach efforts also led to a 17% increase in new patients, helping connect more community members to care.

Rockville Emergency Assistance Program (REAP)

At REAP, strategic planning work focused on developing and implementing a new tracking system, helping collect information on incoming requests, referrals, caller needs, and gaps in available assistance in the county. This valuable data helps make the program more responsive and efficient.

As need in the community grows, REAP’s work becomes ever more important, and we made it a goal to improve program stability through raising $25,000 in funding – a goal we hit thanks to your generous support!

Senior Reach

Senior Reach continued its mission of helping older adults age safely and independently in their own homes. Throughout the year, the program provided critical home safety modifications through Safe & Secure projects, repairs, personal care assistance, case management, and supportive services that allowed seniors to remain in their home and avoid unnecessary institutional care. The program also expanded opportunities for social engagement through workshops, wellness activities, and community events designed to reduce isolation and strengthen connections among older adults.

Housing Program

Reach continued to invest in its Housing Program, which includes Jefferson House for men and Rockland House for women.

Rockland House received a long-overdue roof and siding replacement, achieved in partnership with the Home Builders Care Foundation. Other repairs and improvements at both houses including interior painting, flooring replacement, and other essential maintenance projects.

Beyond these physical upgrades, the Housing Program strengthened its focus on resident self-sufficiency. Through volunteer activities, recovery support services, and community engagement, residents worked toward greater independence and personal growth.

Language Outreach Program (LOP)

In collaboration with local Marriott Hotels, LOP began developing a curriculum for an industry-specific English conversation class within our existing adult ESL program. This new class, which focuses on the food and beverage industry, is scheduled to begin this fall. The goal of this class is to support employees in expanding their industry-specific English, which will offer new job opportunities and higher salaries, while helping employers find and promote more skilled candidates. If the pilot is successful, the program will consider whether to expand it into a 120-hour ESL course, continue offering it as a conversation class, or go in some other direction. Future classes could also focus on other hospitality roles, such as housekeeping, an area of interest identified by Marriott.

Development & Internal Efficiency

Our Development team worked with Varona Designs to create a new website and refresh our band, two highly visible accomplishments that enhance our visibility and name recognition.

The team also worked with Bloomerang to integrate a new CRM (customer relationship management system) to better communicate with donors, track their data, and streamline reporting.

Finally, our Board of Directors assessment helped identify gaps in skillsets and ways to ensure the board reflects the community we serve; the results of the assessment helped us target new board members with backgrounds in marketing, public relations, and human resources. All these goals are important for Reach to grow as a strong nonprofit organization in the future.

All these accomplishments helped Reach become the organization it is today and laid the foundation for continued growth.

"We are seeing all of our clients and patients benefit from the work the staff has been doing because of the plan."

• Dr. Donna Perry, MKHC Board Chair

As we move into the next year of our strategic plan, we are energized by the progress already underway and excited for the work ahead. With the continued partnership of our donors, volunteers, community partners, and supporters, Reach will keep building on this momentum.

Thank you for your support and dedication to building a stronger, more connected community.

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