Alyssa Curtis and Kelseyanne Eckel are both sisters of Alpha Phi. They are co-presidents of the REACH program at UMaine.
1. What exactly is the REACH program?
Alyssa: REACH stands for Relief, Education, Action, Community and Hope.
Kelseyanne: We are a student-led organization that travels to poverty-stricken countries during spring break in hopes to create a cleaner and safer world.
2. How did you get involved?
Alyssa: I got involved last year because of Kelseyanne. Her sister was the president a few years back and told her about the group. I first went to get some information and didn’t think I would actually go on the trip. It really interested me, so I decided to stick it out. Joining REACH was probably the best decision I could have ever made.
Kelseyanne: My older sister was the president of REACH for a couple years before I began attending Maine. I’ve always been really into philanthropy and traveling, so what better way to get involved on campus than with an organization that combines the two?
3. What is the goal/purpose of the program?
Alyssa: The goal of REACH is to help a community or family in need. Last year we did a variety of projects from renovating a school house, to volunteering at an orphanage to donating school supplies to a local schoolhouse.
Kelseyanne: Our goal is to make as big of a difference as possible in the lives of all the people we meet while we’re volunteering.
4. What do you like about the group and why?
Alyssa: What I love about REACH is that we get to decide everything as a group. We choose our destination, our projects and our fundraisers as a group. It’s not a cookie-cutter trip every year – there’s always a new adventure waiting for us.
Kelseyanne: I love that we get to decide together as a group where we want to volunteer and exactly what we want to do while we are there. More importantly, I love the impact that is made on each of our members by the people that we are helping.
5. What are some of the important events that the group has held?
Alyssa: So far this year we have had a Darling’s ice cream truck fundraiser and sold lobster rolls which one of our members hauled in herself!
Kelseyanne: The most important event that I’ve personally been a part of while being a part of REACH was our trip last year to Peru. We were able visit an orphanage, spend a couple days helping out at an elementary school and added an addition onto the home of a single mother with five children who is a repeated victim of sexual assault.
6. Any future events?
Alyssa: We have a 5k coming up on Nov. 8 at 10 a.m. We also have a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, a dance at the Bear Brew and a big gift card raffle. We also have a few events next semester, so like our Facebook to keep up to date!
Kelseyanne: Plenty other fundraising events are to be announced in the near future, all of which help raise money for our trip to Ecuador this spring break.
7. Anything you’d like to add?
Alyssa: REACH is such a great organization and we would love the support from the community during our fundraisers.
Kelseyanne: Thank you to everyone that has donated to us, we really appreciate it.