R.E.A.C.H celebrates 25 years serving Cherokee County

The Original five - Sheryl Young, Mary Ricketson, Robin Mauney, Eleanor Mac Corkle, and Eleanor Wilson, were the first to sign the articles of corporation in 1982 for REACH.

Reach celebrated 25 years of service to the people in Cherokee County at John Campbell Folk School May 19th. A welcome was given to all the speakers with awards and recognition given to the Fabulous Five who strived to get this program going, funded and thought of as a "good thing" through the first 10 plus years.

Senator John Snow spoke about laws that had to be enacted and passed to get help for victims in domestic violence situations. There are new laws that still need to be passed. There is a bill now on the floor to make it a felony instead of a misdemeanor for those with a restraining order against them to go on the premise of the victim. Another bill is for aggravated penalty seeking the death penalty when anyone commits murder at a domestic violence shelter such as at Sylva earlier this year. He is also asking for more money to be appropriated for better security at domestic violence

shelters. He praised all the people involved through all the years who have been such a great part of this wonderful group.

Kathleen Balogh, Western Region director of NC Council Women DV Commission, praised the REACH program in Cherokee County as the ideal program that others could use as an example to launch their own programs or to update them.