November at REACH: A Place to Connect, Create, and Celebrate Together

As the days grow shorter and the holiday season approaches, having a community to turn to can make a meaningful difference. November at REACH Ministries offers opportunities to share a meal, spend time creating, connect with others who understand, and find encouragement through conversation.

REACH supports children, adults, and families living with HIV by creating spaces where people can build relationships and experience belonging. This month’s activities bring that mission to life through support groups, creative gatherings, and our Thanksgiving Dinner. With opportunities both online and at the REACH office, there are several ways to participate.

Whether you have been part of REACH for years or are considering joining us for the first time, we invite you to find a gathering that feels right for you.

Positive Adults Support Group

Mondays, November 2 and 23 | Noon | Zoom

Living with HIV can involve experiences that are difficult to explain to people who have never faced them. Our Positive Adults Support Group offers adults ages 18 and older a welcoming space to connect with others living with HIV, talk about everyday life, and receive encouragement.

Conversations can make room for both challenges and celebrations: navigating relationships, managing responsibilities, finding support, or simply sharing how the week is going. Participants bring different perspectives and life experiences, while building connections around a shared understanding.

You do not need to arrive with a particular topic or know exactly what to say. Some days, you may want to talk. Other days, listening and spending time with the group may be what you need. Both are welcome.

We will gather twice this month—on November 2 and November 23—at noon on Zoom.

Lifetime Survivors Support Group

Wednesday, November 11 | 7:30 p.m. | Zoom

For those who have lived with HIV since birth or early childhood, the experience of growing up with HIV can shape many parts of life. Relationships, identity, independence, and the transition into adulthood may all carry questions and experiences that others do not always understand.

Our Lifetime Survivors Support Group provides an opportunity to connect with people who share that history. It is a space for honest conversation, mutual encouragement, and relationships that can grow through shared experiences.

There is room to reflect on the past, talk about what is happening now, and share hopes for the future. Participants can bring their questions, accomplishments, frustrations, and everyday experiences into a community where they do not have to explain every part of their story.

Join us on Zoom on Wednesday, November 11, at 7:30 p.m.

REACH Thanksgiving Dinner

Saturday, November 14 | 5–7 p.m. | REACH Office

A shared meal gives us time to slow down and enjoy one another’s company. This November, we look forward to gathering our REACH community around the table for Thanksgiving Dinner.

The holidays can bring a mix of feelings. For some, they are filled with familiar traditions and excitement. For others, they can highlight distance from loved ones, changes in family life, or a longing for connection. Our Thanksgiving gathering offers a welcoming place to spend the evening with community and make new memories together.

We invite REACH individuals and families to join us for food, conversation, and time with familiar faces—and perhaps a few new ones. Children, adults, longtime participants, and those attending their first REACH gathering all help make this community what it is.

You are welcome to bring a dish to share if you would like. We would love to have you at the table.

RSVP HERE or contact Cecilia.

Creative Expressions

Tuesday, November 17 | 11 a.m. | REACH Office

Making something with your hands can offer a welcome change of pace. Creative Expressions brings people together for a relaxed, in-person session where there is room to try something, enjoy the process, and connect through conversation.

You do not need an artistic background or consider yourself a creative person to participate. The invitation is simply to come ready to explore. Everyone approaches a project differently, and those individual choices are part of what makes creating together enjoyable.

Alongside the activity itself, these gatherings offer time to sit with others, share ideas, and get to know people in a comfortable setting. A creative project can give a conversation a natural starting point, while also allowing space for quiet concentration.

Join us at the REACH office on Tuesday, November 17, at 11 a.m. No artistic experience is needed. We will be making clay jewelery.

Creative Expressions Club

Tuesday, November 24 | 5–6 p.m. | Zoom

Our Creative Expressions Club gives kids and teens an opportunity to create and connect from home. This interactive Zoom gathering brings participants together around a creative activity, with time to explore ideas and see how others approach the project.

Each participant brings their own imagination and perspective. The experience makes room for trying something new, making individual choices, and sharing what they have created with the group.

Online gatherings also help young people stay connected between in-person REACH events. Spending time with familiar faces and meeting other participants can help those relationships continue to grow throughout the year.

Creative Expressions Club meets Tuesday, November 24, from 5 to 6 p.m. Contact Cecilia for participation details.

Join Us This November

You do not need to attend every event to be part of the REACH community. Perhaps a lunchtime support group fits your schedule, an evening Zoom gathering makes participation easier, or an in-person meal offers the connection you have been looking for.

If you are new to REACH or unsure which gathering is a good fit, we are happy to help you learn more. Community partners are also welcome to share these opportunities with the individuals and families they serve who are living with or affected by HIV.

For more information, to RSVP, or to request Zoom participation details, contact Cecilia Bryan at cbryan@reachministries.org or 253-383-7616.

We look forward to connecting with you this November.