Help Create a Place Where Everyone Belongs
Every Labor Day weekend, REACH Ministries brings together individuals and families impacted by HIV for four days of connection, laughter, adventure, and community.
For many REACH families, Getaway is more than a weekend away. It is a place where they can be surrounded by people who understand. A place where they don’t have to explain or hide part of their story. A place where they are welcomed, valued, and know they belong.
This year’s theme, Rooted in Belonging, celebrates something at the heart of REACH: the power of finding your place and finding your people.
Why Belonging Matters
Human beings are wired for connection. Feeling that we belong—to a family, a friendship, or a community—is an important part of our well-being.
But stigma and isolation can make that connection harder to find for individuals and families impacted by HIV.
At Getaway, something special happens.
Old friends reconnect. New families are welcomed in. Kids find friends who understand experiences they may not be able to talk about anywhere else. Parents connect with other parents. Adults who have lived with HIV for decades spend time with people who have walked similar paths.
Some come back to people they’ve known for years.
Others find their people for the very first time.
Everyone deserves a place where they can look around and know: I belong here.
Help Make Getaway Possible
You can help us create four unforgettable days for REACH families!
There are several ways to be part of this year’s Getaway:
Shop Our Amazon Wishlist — Send supplies and items we need to bring the weekend to life.
Fund a Getaway Activity — Give toward a specific experience for kids, adults, or the whole family.
Volunteer Your Time — Join us at Getaway and help create a welcoming, fun weekend for our families.
Businesses & Community Partners — Sponsor Getaway or support the weekend through an in-kind donation.
Every gift—whether it’s an item from our Wishlist, $25 toward an activity, or the gift of your time—helps us create a place where REACH families can connect, have fun, and experience what it means to truly belong.
Individuals:
Fund an activity, shop our Amazon Wishlist, or volunteer your time.
Businesses:
sponsor the getaway or give through in-kind donations.
Support as an Individual
Whether you want to fund a moment of joy or send something we need from home, your generosity helps make Getaway unforgettable for REACH families.
Donate Toward a Getaway Activity
The big adventures are exciting, but some of the most meaningful moments at Getaway happen in between—creating something together, cheering someone on as they try something new, laughing during a game, or sitting beside a new friend.
Your donation helps make those moments possible.
This year, you can help fund experiences like:
Creative Expressions — Hands-on art experiences that give youth and adults opportunities to create and connect.
Garden Party — Help us bring our Rooted in Belonging theme to life with a special evening of activities, creativity, and connection.
Hugs, High Fives & Happy Birthdays — A joyful theme night celebrating our REACH community.
Crafts & Creative Activities — Help provide supplies for bracelet making, painting, flower crafts, and other hands-on activities throughout the weekend.
Youth Activities & Socials — Help us create fun spaces where kids can play, laugh, make friends, and feel part of the group.
Camp Adventures — Help make experiences like the giant swing, zip line, ninja warrior course, swimming, and other camp activities possible.
Want to contribute toward an activity without funding the whole thing?
Absolutely! Every gift helps.
Simply select “Other” as your donation level and, in the comments section at the bottom of the form, write the name of the activity you’d like your gift to support.
Whether it’s $10 toward craft supplies or a larger gift toward an entire experience, you are helping create a weekend where families can find connection, joy, and belonging.
🛍 Shop Our Amazon Wish List
Prefer to give something tangible?
Our Amazon Wish List is filled with items that help bring Getaway to life—from craft and activity supplies to games and other weekend essentials.
Choose something from the list and send it directly to REACH. Every package that arrives gets us one step closer to an unforgettable weekend for our families!
Volunteer at Getaway
Belonging doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when someone welcomes you, learns your name, invites you to join in, and makes sure you know there’s a place for you.
Our volunteers help create those moments all weekend long.
Whether you spend time with kids, offer a ride, assist a family member who needs a little extra support, or simply share your time and friendship, your presence helps make Getaway a safe, welcoming, and joyful experience.
We’re currently looking for:
Counselors — Be paired with a small group of children during children’s group times and evening socials. Help kids feel welcomed and included as they participate in activities, make friends, and experience camp. At other times throughout the weekend, counselors may help with activities, crafts, set-up, or lend a hand to a parent by holding a small child while they participate in an activity.
Mobility Companions — Spend time alongside an adult who may need extra mobility assistance during the weekend. Help them get to activities and meals, offer a helping hand when needed, and, most importantly, be a friendly companion. Mobility Companions can join us for the full four-day weekend or volunteer for a day on Saturday or Sunday.
Transportation Volunteers — Help families get to Getaway safely on Friday or return home on Monday by providing transportation.
No special experience is necessary. We’re looking for caring, dependable people who are willing to show up, lend a hand, and help someone else feel welcomed and included.
Become a Getaway Sponsor
Partner with REACH Ministries to help create four days of connection, joy, and belonging for individuals and families impacted by HIV.
Getaway is not a vendor fair or promotional event. It is a private, safe community where families can step away from the challenges of everyday life and spend a weekend surrounded by people who understand.
That’s why we partner with organizations that share our values and want to make a meaningful difference in the lives of REACH families.
Your sponsorship helps support:
✔ Travel and lodging for families who may otherwise be unable to attend
✔ Meals and snacks throughout the four-day weekend
✔ Creative activities and meaningful experiences for kids, teens, and adults
✔ Camp adventures and recreational activities
✔ A private, joy-filled weekend where families feel safe, welcomed, and connected
Sponsorship opportunities may include:
Recognition in Getaway communications and materials
The opportunity to provide an approved item for family welcome bags
Recognition in post-event communications
Business & Community In-Kind Giving
Your business, organization, or community group can help bring Getaway to life by donating goods, supplies, or services that directly support the weekend.
In-kind donations help us create meaningful experiences for families while allowing REACH to direct more resources toward the people and programs we serve.
Some of the items we may need include:
• Arts and craft supplies
• Supplies for games and recreational activities
• Snacks, drinks, and treats
• Activity and theme-night supplies
• Small comfort or welcome items for families
• Donated services or experiences that could add something special to the weekend
Have something else you’d like to contribute? We’d love to hear your idea!
Have a question about what we can accept?
Reach out to Cecilia at cbryan@reachministries.org.
Thank You for Helping Belonging Take Root
Whether you make a donation, send an item from our Wish List, volunteer your time, sponsor an experience, or contribute something your business can provide, you are helping create this weekend.
You are helping create the laughter.
The adventures.
The friendships.
The moments when someone new is welcomed in.
And the feeling of looking around and knowing:
I am safe here.
I am welcome here.
I belong here.
Thank you for helping us create a place where REACH families can feel seen, valued, celebrated, and never alone.
Together, we can help belonging take root.
Questions or want to get involved in a deeper way?
Contact: Cecilia Bryan – cbryan@reachministries.org
