REACH Beyond Domestic Violence

We’re excited to welcome a new member to the REACH Board of Directors, Connor C. MacIsaac! Connor is a Certified Financial Advisor for Edward Jones with experience in divorce finances.

Welcome, Connor!

Head over to the official REACH blog to read our latest post on how adults can help keep teens safe from technology abuse.

reachma.org/blog/teens-and-tech-abuse-blog-post/

#teendatingviolenceawarenessmonth #TDVAM

Join the Needham Domestic Violence Action Committee and Jessica Teperow of JT Consulting for this informative workshop on how you can help your child nurture healthy friendships and boundaries.

You can register for the workshop by heading over to bit.ly/4qgYCYW

In light of the State of Emergency in Massachusetts, REACH's physical offices are closed today, Monday, February 23.

However, our support does not stop. Shelter services remain active. Our 24-hour hotline is OPEN. If you or someone you know needs support, call us at 800-899-4000.

When you support REACH, either through a one-time gift or as a monthly donor, you help ensure survivors always have an advocate by their side as they navigate some of the most difficult times in their lives. You can make a gift via the link below.

reachma.org/ways-to-give/give-now/

Collective care is central to Black history and to our work at REACH. Our volunteers show up with compassion, commitment, and solidarity — helping us extend support beyond our walls.

#BlackHistoryMonth

In honor of Black History Month, we want to draw your attention to a new edition you maybe missed: Black Women's Intellectual Traditions, edited by Kristin Waters and Carol B. Conaway—a landmark collection reclaiming the powerful intellectual and activist legacies of nineteenth-century Black women.

February’s REACH newsletter is going out tomorrow! If you’d like to stay up to date with everything that’s happening at our organization, you can subscribe by clicking the link below.

reachma.org/subscribe

CHECK VOTE411.ORG NOW!

Work on your civic core strength NOW! Check the status of your voter registration: vote411.org. Power up to defend democracy against autocracy. Don’t let a last-minute purge strip your name from the polls. The 2026 primaries & midterms are ahead. vote411.org @vote411.bsky.social @lwvus.bsky.social

PJP Writers on the Black History That Inspires Them PJP contributors share movies, music and books from Black history that have helped shape their writing.

For Black History Month, Black contributors share the movies, music and books that have shaped their writing.

That's our founder! That's our EIC!

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, who led the Civil Rights Movement for decades after King, has died at 84 Jackson was a protege of the Rev. Martin Luther King and became a leader of the Civil Rights Movement for decades after King was assassinated in 1968.

"At the end of the day, we must go forward with hope and not backward by fear and division." Jesse Jackson, civil rights leader and presidential candidate, has died. He was 84. https://bit.ly/4tYcyub

Graphic for event, Intersex Experiences Across the African Diaspora, with a deep blue-green oceanic background and colorful headshots of 5 panelists, all Black intersex people. Tuesday, February 24th from 12:00 to 1:30 pm EST. English language. CART captioning. Donation based.* Join five global speakers to celebrate intersex people of the African diaspora, followed by a virtual discussion open to all. *Pay what you can, or email us at hello@slimstrategy.org if you need a free ticket. Register online at tinyurl.com/intersexdiaspora . Presented by SLIM, the Strategy Lab for Intersex Movements. Panelist headshots are Adeyanju Aiyegbusi, Olivia Hunte, Yezenia León Mezu, Obioma Chukwuike, and moderator Sean Saifa Wall.

You know February is #BlackHistoryMonth — but what about the Black intersex people whose voices are often unheard?
Join five global speakers to celebrate intersex people of the African diaspora! Grab a ticket and join us and the Strategy Lab for Intersex Movements at tinyurl.com/intersexdiaspora.

A Year of Harms: The Impact of US Foreign Aid Cuts on Women and Girls in Humanitarian Crises — rePROs Fight Back A humanitarian crisis-- where life has been upset by natural disaster, conflict, or forced displacement-- can disproportionately impact women and girls. Women and girls, at disproportionate risk for g...

After the Trump admin froze U.S. foreign aid in January 2025, @wrcommission.bsky.social documented the harms of these cuts on women & girls in humanitarian crises across 32 countries. This week, Julianne Deitch, WRC’s Associate Director of Research & author of the report, talks about their findings:

Wishing everyone a safe and restful Presidents’ Day holiday!

REACH’s offices are closed today, but our emergency hotline is still available at 800-899-4000. Normal office operations will resume tomorrow, Feb. 17.

#PresidentsDay

Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to promote the positive qualities that enable healthy relationships, be they romantic or otherwise.

When it comes to building healthier, more educated communities, advocating for yourself is just as important as advocating for others.

#ValentinesDay

The House has passed the so-called SAVE America Act—a bill that could strip voting access from millions of women. By requiring documents like passports or birth certificates to register, this legislation threatens the voting rights of 69 million women who changed their last name after marriage.

Brookline joins neighboring cities in restricting ICE access to public property - Brookline.News The new policy is similar to one announced last week by Boston, but has some changes intended to better fit Brookline, according to Town Administrator Charles Carey.

A new policy approved by the Select Board this week aims to prevent ICE and other agencies from using public property in Brookline for civil immigration enforcement.

brookline.news/brookline-jo...

Rest in peace, Bayonetta A full-spoiler explanation as to why queer fans like me felt so disappointed by Bayonetta 3

Relitigating disappointing plot decisions from a 4-year-old game? Why yes, we will, thanks. By @midimyers.com
www.mothership.blog/rest-in-peac...

The 20 Elections to Watch This February - Bolts Democrats hold the narrowest of majorities in Maine and Pennsylvania’s state Houses. They now need to defend vacant seats to retain their edge in each through the end of the... Read More

The election calendar doesn’t stop, and Bolts’ latest monthly guide is out.

Here are the 20 elections you should be watching in February.

Brookline's Harvard Street rezoning hasn't sparked development. Is four stories enough? - Brookline.News Town Meeting took a victory lap after a grand compromise to rezone Harvard Street for more housing in 2023. The promised development hasn't come through, and experts disagree on why.

More than two years after Town Meeting rezoned Harvard Street in an effort to allow more housing, hardly any development has materialized. Are economic conditions to blame, or did the zoning not go far (or high) enough?

brookline.news/brooklines-h...

From Ida B. Wells to STacey Abrams, Black women have played a pivotal role in advancing voting rights.

Racial justice and journalism are under attack. It’s not the first time. On the occasion of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, we honor the amazing Ida B. Wells, the intrepid journalist who exposed the violence of life under Jim Crow. We must remember the past to move on!
wams.nyhistory.org/modernizing-...

Trans Bill of Rights Reintroduced in Congress. Our allies in Congress are showing what it looks like to fight for trans rights

What is the trans bill of rights? This resolution affirms that the federal government has a responsibility to protect transgender and nonbinary people from discrimination in everyday life, including in: -Healthcare, including access to gender-affirming care. Housing and homelessness services - Employment and workplace protections -Education and access to public spaces -Immigration proceedings -The armed services and veterans affairs -Safety, bodily autonomy, and robust civil rights enforcement

The Transgender Bill of Rights also supports intersex bodily autonomy & human rights! The resolution calls for a ban on nonconsensual surgeries on intersex children. Every person deserves to feel safe and accepted and have the freedom to make decisions for their own bodies.

The 2026 ‘Reach for the Stars’ Gala will once again feature two crowd favorites: a wine pull and photo booth!

You can purchase tickets over at givebutter.com/stars2026. We hope to see you there!

We're on The Games Press today talking about journalism, indie media, prioritizing freelancer work, and so much more! Check it out ~wherever you get your podcasts~

Our deepest thanks to The Second Step, the Gabby Petito Foundation, Babson College, and the Needham Police Department for joining us as part of a two-day event focused on raising awareness around Teen Dating Violence during Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM).

Volunteers from Vantage Point Financial stopped by our office to drop off the donation items they’d collected for our survivor clients! Our deepest thanks go out to everyone who donated, and to the VPF staff who collected and transported the items!

February is #TeenDatingViolenceAwarenessMonth. Learn more about TDVAM (and how to prevent it) by visiting loveisrespect.org/tdvam or by texting LOVEIS to 22522. Support is also available via REACH’s confidential hotline at 1-800-899-4000.

#tdvam2026

In honor of #BlackHistoryMonth, we remember these bold words from Rosa Parks, the Civil Rights activist whose bravery and defiance in the face of racial prejudice and discrimination propelled one of the most powerful movements in U.S. history.

A recent piece written by feminist media critic Nico Deyo for @mothership.blog delves into the unique situation some survivors of domestic abuse might face where their abuser purposefully breaks their gaming consoles as an act of control.

tinyurl.com/mtbjs58n