MEMBERS OF THE REACH/CARES ORGANIZATION, DOWNTOWN, NOV. 21. (PHOTO BY ROB TAYLOR JR.)
The New Pittsburgh Courier has covered high school students like Xair Stevenson, a star player on the Pittsburgh Obama Academy (USO) football team, for his flashy runs, timely touchdowns, and team leadership.
Last Thursday, a week before Thanksgiving, the Courier found him again, but this time, he was in another capacity—helping those who are less fortunate.
“You can be a better person,” Stevenson told the Courier. “Everyone needs somebody every day, and you never know what the person’s going through and what they need at the moment.”
TRUE KINDNESS—REACH’S THANKSGIVING DINNER GIVEAWAY. (PHOTO BY SHEILA BEASLEY)
Stevenson, 17, was joined by other students like Kyshawn Robinson, 16, Elijah Gist, 17, Brashear High School graduate Rafael Diaz and 19-year-old Ryshawn Saunders, and the many members of the REACH/Cares organization, for REACH’s second-annual Thanksgiving Dinner Giveaway. It was held from 4 to 5 p.m. at the corner of Sixth and Smithfield streets, Downtown. More than 300 people, many of whom are homeless, received hot foods from the organization.
The REACH organization came out of Rev. Glenn Grayson Sr.’s “The Center That Cares” initiative, which also has under its umbrella the Jeron X. Grayson Center (Hill District), CARES CommuniTea Cafe, and other services. Soon after REACH’s inception, it partnered directly with City of Pittsburgh community engagement officers to better identify threats, share relevant information and prevent violent incidents from taking place. There are roughly 45 men and women involved with REACH, serving Pittsburgh.
Gist told the Courier serving others on the cold, Nov. 21 afternoon Downtown felt good “because if I was in their predicament, I would want somebody doing it for me. So, just me knowing that I’m helping makes me feel better as a person.”
Most of the REACH members are from the Pittsburgh area, and they understand how coming from an area without as much investment as say, a Fox Chapel or Upper St. Clair, could cause young people into thinking that violent activity is the only route. REACH members are broken up into different zones across the city, continuously speaking with people in the community and promoting positivity over negativity.
REACH MEMBERS RAYSHAWN SAUNDERS, VAUGHN RIVERS, KEVIN ALTON, MARTEL HEDGE
Vaughn Rivers, who is the director of zones 2 and 3 (which includes the Hill District, Downtown and parts of the South Side), told the Courier at the free event that REACH puts on six cookouts per year in its zones, and that they’re preparing for a Christmas hat and sock drive on Dec. 23, which will be held Downtown at the same location.
“Today is like Christmas to me, I love it, there’s nothing better than giving back to our people,” Rivers told the Courier as he watched the hundreds of people leave with free Thanksgiving meals. “God has blessed us enough to be an organization that can come together, a lot of men and women that’s overcome a lot of trials. We are one collective vision; our only goal is to stop violence and give back to our people and elevate them. So today is a great day.”
KYSHAWN ROBINSON, XAIR STEVENSON, ELIJAH GIST, RAFAEL DIAZ. THEY WERE AMONG THETEENS INVOLVED IN REACH/CARES AS THE ORGANIZATION SERVED THANKSGIVING DINNERS.
About Post Author
