BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP MAY 11 - MAY 17, 2018 19
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/file photo
Reaching-Out Community Services is hoping to raise $5,000 for
its programs through a 50/50 raffle taking place now. Official Grand Opening Celebration
Reaching-Out Community
Services doing 50/50
fundraiser to help the hungry
BY VICTORIA MERLINO
EDITORIAL@BROOKLYNREPORTER.COM
Even though it could not put
together a gala this year, due to
construction on its food pantry,
Reaching-Out Community Services is
currently running a 50/50 raffle to
raise funds for its varied programs
that help Brooklynites in need.
“Hunger is not going to go away,” said
founder and Executive Director Tom
Neve. “If we cease to exist, it will force
a lot of people to make unfavorable decisions
of how to get through the day.”
It's donations that make so much
of the work the organization does
possible. For instance, the program
was recently able to renovate its basement
stockroom area through funding
from the NYC Food Assistance Collaborative
and the Helmsley Charitable
Trust.
“When they did come to visit us,
they obviously noticed the stockroom
in the basement … was disorganized
and dysfunctional,” said Neve, speaking
of a need for better shelving and
conveyors. “They were willing to redo
the basement to operate intelligently
and operate more effectively.”
The organization is the only one
of its kind to go digital in New York
City. In the past, people would enter
the stockroom and pick their food off
of the shelves, a process that “took
forever.” Now, the program has its
users digitally pick their food from a
kiosk outside of the storeroom, to be
collected and given to them in a more
time efficient manner. The process is
akin to going to a grocery store, and
allows for clients to have more dignity
in their manner of food selection.
Besides its food pantry, the organization
hosts a litany of other services
that all compliment its main mission
to combat food insecurity, such as
helping clients apply for food stamps,
tax assistance and driving a bus that
provides food to the homeless.
Neve’s hope is for the organization
to continue serving the community
into the future.
“Many people in our communities
and surrounding communities don’t
understand that people are struggling,”
he said, hoping that many people will
one day recognize that there are neighbors
living around them with food
insecurity. “We can do without a park
bench or a baseball team, but we can’t
do without a proper nutritional meal.”
Reaching-Out began out of the back
of a van in 1989, when Neve formed a
homeless mobile outreach program
that provided hot meals, clothing,
health aids and referrals to shelters. His
program grew, and in the next year, the
organization moved into a small storefront
space. When that grew too small,
he moved to a new space in 1993, and
then again in 2007 to 7708 New Utrecht
Avenue. Currently, Reaching-Out Community
Services has over 9,200 people
registered for its services in 16 different
zip codes across Brooklyn.
In total, 100 tickets will be sold for
the 50/50, at $100 a piece, with the
winner taking home $5,000. Tickets
can be purchased through Tomneve@
rcsprograms.org. The drawing will
be held on May 25. For more info, call
917-509-9055.
Thursday, May 17th from 12:00 to 4:00 pm
9016 3rd Avenue
Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
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and Enjoy Some Refreshments -
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Ridge Location!
Ribbon Cutting at 2:00
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