Volunteers help the community through Reach program

This year’s Reach program took place from Saturday, July 13 to Wednesday, July 17 with 118 youth and adults working on 15 homes and expanding to cover four counties: Leflore, Latimer, Haskell and McIntosh. Twenty-three churches were also represented, according to Nina Morgan, Reach program coordinator. 

The Reach program was started by Morgan and her family following a trip to New Mexico in 2007. 

“It is a non-profit, inter-denominational ministry that relies solely on God providing funds through those who feel led to support it. We did four Reaches in Poteau, three in Stigler, and now this year, ReachXL, we did projects in both Stigler and Talihina simultaneously, with corporate worship in Red Oak. The Lord truly gave us a God-sized task, but He was faithful to fulfill it,” said Morgan. 

Participants work on various projects,  such as cleaning yards, fixing roofs and replacing windows, at the 15 sites.

Averi Clay, a first year volunteer, said her experience at Reach has been unforgettable. “It’s been a blessing to get to come out and work with other volunteers and I can’t wait to see [the home owner’s] face when we get done.” 

Clay’s group worked on a home in Stigler, where they were assigned to replace a roof but ended up going above and beyond, replacing a window after someone had donated one, doing the skirting on the home, mowing and  power washing the house with a power washer a team member brought from home. The volunteers did not let the excessive heat stop them, explaining that the wind had cooled them off. 

Jeff Dover of Clay’s crew, a youth paster from Stigler, explained that it had been his second year being apart of the Reach program. “I do it because I love to help people,” he said. 

Ty Horstman and his crew at another Stigler location was a first-year volunteer for Reach this year. His crew worked on a house where the roof had begun to rot and the shingles had to be replaced. “We’ve had the privilege to work on  this house and to serve the community as well as show the love of Jesus,” Horstman said. 

Carley Pendergrass, a first year volunteer, said her church has been involved in Reach, but it usually fell on her mother’s birthday, causing her to be unable to go. This year her father talked her into it.

“Everyone is nice,” she explained about her fellow Reach program participants, “We’ve grown close through this project.”

 At the program, volunteers stay on site at Eureka or Buffalo Valley and attend worship services every night. 

By Madison Davis, Staff reporter

Photo 1: Volunteers from this year’s ReachXtended gather for a photo and display their matching shirts. There were 118 volunteers this year. Submitted. 

Photo 2: Cyrus Davis and Kasen Amos build a roof for a home in Stigler.  Staff photo by Madison Davis

Photo 3: Volunteers from ReachXL discuss plans for the day while working on a roof in Stigler. Staff photo by Madison Davis