The “Brisket, Bourbon & Beer” fundraiser for REACH of Haywood County will take place from 5:30-9 p.m. Thursday, June 20, at the Shelton House in Waynesville. 

The Women of Waynesville (WOW) will host a “Queens of Country” themed karaoke party at 8 p.m. Friday, May 24, at The Gem at Boojum Brewing Company in Waynesville. 

In a world mired with conflict and divisiveness, it can seem like there is little common ground to be found with the proverbial neighbor. But Patrick Schneider of Adamas Entertainment and Julia Freeman of REACH feel sure that if common ground is to be found anywhere, it most likely involves two of the most basic tenets of human nature — music and helping others within a community. 

Jackson County has approved an architectural contract and laid out a timeline for the construction of its domestic violence shelter, acting on a plan that has been several years in the making. 

The Coronavirus Pandemic has caused normal daily lives to grind to a halt. All non-essential industry workers must remain at home most of the day. Restaurants, stores, and face-to-face contact are no longer an option. However, REACH of Haywood County is not undergoing that common change.

Seven years have passed since REACH of Jackson County suddenly shut down operations due to financial issues, leaving the county without a local organization to help victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. 

The staff of REACH of Macon County understands how difficult it is to leave your home, even under the most traumatic situations.

It’s been two-and-a-half years since cash flow problems forced Jackson County’s domestic violence and sexual abuse resource center to close its doors, and REACH of Jackson County has remained a dead organization ever since.

REACH of Macon County won’t find out for another month or so whether its application for a $909,000 grant toward a new building gets approved, but the shelter for victims of domestic abuse is optimistic about the outcome. Already, REACH is working to raise the $303,000 it would need to unlock the grant, and the organization is knocking on the doors of county government for help. 

For nearly a year, REACH of Macon County has been helping domestic abuse victims in Jackson County. The group has handled more than 400 cases in Jackson since last July. 

“To be honest with you, we feel like that number should be higher,” Andrea Anderson, the group’s executive director, told the Jackson County commissioners recently.  “We definitely have been talking and trying to figure out how to reach out to more victims.”