REACH for Uganda Hosts Pancake Breakfast, Pop-Up Thrift Sale Fundraiser

ARLINGTON, VA – On Saturday, June 6, REACH for Uganda (Resources, Environment, Academics, Community, Health) hosted its annual breakfast fundraiser, bringing together supporters for a morning of food, community, and charitable giving.

REACH for Uganda, formerly known as Arlington Academy of Hope, is a nonprofit organization focused on providing high-quality education, healthcare, and community development in rural eastern Uganda. While their boots-on-the-ground work primarily takes place in Uganda, their United States branch and administrative headquarters are located in Arlington, Virginia, where local families and donors help sustain the effort.

Attendees at Saturday’s event enjoyed homemade flapjacks, bacon, fruit, and coffee. Breakfast tickets were offered at $25 for adults and $10 for children, with proceeds from the breakfast being put toward several of REACH for Uganda’s active programs supporting students and families overseas.

Along with the pancakes, visitors also had the chance to participate in a pop-up thrift sale. The items offered ranged from children’s toys to power tools. The goods available for purchase were communally sourced, with REACH for Uganda accepting donations for weeks preceding the fundraiser, turning closets and garages across Arlington into “fun finds” for a cause.

During the breakfast, co-founder and Director of REACH for Uganda John Wanda addressed the room, highlighting the importance of events like these to the organization.

“This is the future that we are trying to build for the kids who grew up in these communities, for the kids who have never experienced anything like our education before…Thank you so much for being here, please spread the word, work with us, because we have a long, long way to go.”

The Woman’s Club in Arlington operated as the venue for the event, where guests had the opportunity to meet and talk to volunteers who have done work in Uganda firsthand. Additionally, the breakfast hosted several future volunteers who are planning to make the trip this summer.

The organization has been operating since 2004, when they opened their first school in the region, Arlington Junior School, in rural Uganda. Since then, the nonprofit has expanded their scope, developing several other beneficial programs in the area. They now serve almost 1,000 students, offering education, meal plans, and extracurricular activities. These schools also prioritize gender equity, with the majority of students enrolled being young girls.

They also have a focus on healthcare for their students, having implemented two medical clinics nearby to ensure students and civilians alike receive high-quality care.

Dr. James Angel, a finance professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University and one of the directors of the organization, remarked on the work that REACH for Uganda has been doing.

“Very small investments can really change somebody’s life. For just a few hundred dollars a year, you can teach a kid how to read…that’s why I keep coming back.”

REACH for Uganda fundraises in a variety of ways, including donations, student sponsorship, and events like this one in the Arlington area. The nonprofit also hosts an annual gala, which this year will be held on October 18 at the Army Navy Country Club.

REACH also welcomes volunteers to join them in Uganda for a few days or a few months to work at Arlington Junior School and the Beatrice Tierney Health Clinics. Volunteering offers an opportunity to live and work in the communities they serve in rural eastern Uganda, with room and board provided at a local guesthouse and transportation to and from Entebbe Airport, south of Kampala.

More information on donations, student sponsorship, volunteering, and events can be found online via REACH’s website at https://reachforuganda.org/.