March 13, 2024 • 22 mins
When Fred and Cora Reed opened their hearts to the children of Wilmington, they sparked a revolution with Reed's Refuge Center, and their story is one that will inspire and uplift you. Their dedication has created a sanctuary where music, education, and comprehensive support blend into a harmonious symphony of hope for at-risk youth. In our intimate conversation, we uncover the depths of their passion, discussing how the center's growth from a musical haven into a full-fledged educational powerhouse has not only transformed lives but is also reshaping a community plagued by violence and negativity.
Join Terrance Vann, Fred and Cora as they share their personal triumphs and trials, including the joys and challenges of raising nine children, which have profoundly influenced their approach to building a nurturing environment for many more. We'll reveal the recent fundraising milestones set to expand the refuge's reach and the Reeds' dream of offering 24-hour crisis support. This episode is more than just an interview; it's a testament to the power of investing in our youth and an invitation to participate in fostering sustainable change that resonates through generations.
The Delaware Division of the Arts, a branch of the Delaware Department of State, is committed to supporting the arts and cultivating creativity to enhance the quality of life in Delaware. Together with its advisory body, the Delaware State Arts Council, the Division administers grants and programs that support arts programming, educate the public, increase awareness of the arts, and integrate the arts into all facets of Delaware life. Learn more at Arts.Delaware.Gov.
Delaware State of the Arts is a weekly podcast that presents interviews with arts organizations and leaders who contribute to the cultural vibrancy of communities throughout Delaware. Delaware State of the Arts is provided as a service of the Division of the Arts, in partnership with NEWSRADIO 1450 WILM and 1410 WDOV.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
For Delaware State of the Arts.
My name is Terrence Van and Iam joined today by Fred and Jim
Miller of Reeves Refuge.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
I am Jim Miller and I am the Chair of the Board for
Reeves Refuge Center.
I have been the Chair since2019 and it has been a pleasure
and an honor serving on theBoard for this organization
because, as I will express later, I think it is a very unique
(01:18):
organization and I have seenfirsthand the wonders that they
have done in the community andhow special it is for Wilmington
.
But we can get into that.
I think once the listeners hearthe story of Cora and Fred and
(01:39):
how they got started, they aregoing to be very inspired.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
How you doing.
I'm Frederick Reed, co-founderof Reed's Refuge Center.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
And I'm Cory co-founder of Reed's Refuge
Center.
Oh, what's with that.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Yeah, so just to give you a little brief, you know,
on Reed's Refuge Center, westarted like in 2012.
I want to say our doors beganto open.
The idea, you know, came from alot of violence that was going
on in Wilmington.
Wilmington was called MurderCity and all these different,
you know.
You know negative names and youknow music was always driving
(02:14):
our youth, you know, to do someof the things that they were
doing.
It was, you know, getting themexcited and inspiring them.
You know to do some negativethings.
And so, with a musicalbackground, you know, I thought,
well, maybe we can take thatsame, you know, concept but
change the lyrical content youknow, of the music.
So that was our drawing cardwas music.
(02:35):
You know changing the lyrical.
You know changing the lyrical.
You know lyrics and giving them, you know, giving our youth an
opportunity to expressthemselves in a way that they
can be heard and not to benegative.
You know not.
You know talking down incommunity, the orgatory, you
know, to the women, those typeof things you know.
So we wanted to give them aplatform.
You know where they can beheard and there's so many
talented, you know, young peoplein Wilmington.
(02:56):
You know, and you know,wilmington's a small city.
So, and you know, we wanted togive opportunity for people to
expound on their talents andtheir gifts.
So that's where it originallycame from, but then it turned
into, you know, education,education.
You know, once you know, Ibelieve that I'm in my wife also
.
We both believe that once youknow, we can get their hearts
and get their attention and getthem involved, then they're able
(03:17):
to, you know, you can teachthem at that point.
So we begin to use music as a,you know, driving force to
educate.
You know, teaching them beatsper minute.
You know, state of the artrecording studio recording, and
we added our culinary artsclasses, which is called Cooking
what Out of Stove, teaching ouryoung latchkey.
You know, youth, how to preparefull meals using a microwave,
(03:40):
because a lot of them were goinghome, because their parents
were in survival mode, having towork, you know, all the time.
They were home alone sometimes,and they would, you know.
So we gave them ways that theycan use that microwave and the
way they can make some healthymeals.
You know, not just healthymeals, but smoothies, exposing
them to different things,different fruits.
You know different things.
That's good for the body, youknow.
So that was our culinary arts.
(04:01):
You know multi-media.
We do multi-media here,teaching our young people how to
fly drones.
You know shoot videos,photography, you know.
So it began to grow so speedilyand fast, you know here.
Do you want to add anything?
Go ahead.
Good morning.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
Also one of the things that we do here at Reads
Refuge.
We make sure that the childrenare fed dinner at night.
We make sure that they're red.
We have something called streamthat we added stem from stem, we
added reading, any arts to itand what we do is we allow, make
sure that the children gethomework help, their help with
math, their help, they get helpin reading and also, like I said
(04:43):
, we make sure that they are fedwhen they go out of here.
Only thing the parents reallytechnically got to do with our
children is maybe give them asnack and let them go to bed.
All their needs have been met.
One thing about Reads Refuge wetry to fill in the gaps.
We understand the strugglebecause Fred and I come from the
same backgrounds.
(05:03):
He was born and raised over theRiverside Projects.
I was born and raised over theWest Side, so we understand the
people, we understand their cry.
So we try to be here and bethat pillar in the community
that actually helps fill inthese gaps that the parents are
struggling in Because, like Fredsaid, during survival mode
(05:24):
nobody got time to prepare afull meal.
We're used to giving themnoodles and noodles.
So it's like you got work, yeah, when you got to work, and
you're trying to make ends meet.
You know we don't have time tosit down and read to our
children before they go to bed,so that's one of the things that
Reeves Refuge tried to makesure that we read to the
(05:45):
children before they leave here.
And you know, we just make surethat all the needs of the
children have been met afterleaving Reeves Refuge Center.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Sure, and one of the things that I would like to add
to that is that one of thethings that make us very unique,
we're proud owners of twochildcare facilities, so we're
and then Reeves Refuge isconnected our non-profit right
to the building, so we have anopportunity to have them from
the cradle until they're adults.
So a lot of times we get them.
I mean, we have, you know,youth that we started back in
(06:16):
what oh five with in childcareand we got some of the same
students that came through thatare actually working here and
teachers here.
At this point I'm just likewe're getting old.
We've been doing this for along time.
It's exciting to see, you know,that I had this little six week
old baby and now they're like19 and 20 and working in the
(06:39):
facility, you know.
So that's amazing to us.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
And then and not only that.
You know we're helping them.
You know, when it comes to likejobs, we're employing them.
You know we're giving themcareers, because some didn't
know that they like dealing withchildren.
You know.
So we haven't.
You know we have a chance to.
You know, allow them to see.
Ok, if you want to really workwith children, I tell everybody,
this is the place that youthink you want to be into, this
(07:04):
business.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
Working with children Reeves, refuge and Reed to
Learn Academy.
This, this is the place thatyou come because you get a
chance to.
You know, start early, dealwith the children early and
follow them until they're adults.
So this is like one of theplaces and I've had people come
through here and really say,miss Reed, I want to.
You know, I really want to workwith children and I'm like, ok,
well, I give you a job.
(07:26):
And then they have said to meMiss Reed, you know what?
I change my mind.
I'm changing my major in schoolbecause I don't want to work
with children, and I'm glad thatbecause to me, you have a
passion.
And if you don't have a passionand love, that's the most
important thing If you don'tlove people and you don't have
that spirit of love, this is notthe police for you.
(07:49):
I agree.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
I want to take a minute to remind our listeners
that you are tuned into NewsRadio 1450 WILM and 1410 WDOV
for Delaware State of the Arts.
Yeah, it's amazing, I mean it'samazing to be able to be in a
child's life and give them thatinspiration, that extra piece to
(08:12):
get them through some of thesetimes, and, you know, to have
that support, because you knowwomatin, as we know, you know, I
mean, growing up in womatinisn't always the easiest thing
in the world and sometimes thatsupport goes so.
So it goes such a far awaybecause when, when it's not
(08:34):
there, you see what happens.
You know what I mean.
Like you were saying, changingthat narrative is a beautiful
thing and so if you could giveour listeners what kind of led
into creating Reed's Refuge,what were some of the steps on
getting started, and you knowwhat was that process like for
you.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
Well, it kind of got me in trouble getting started.
Yes, it did.
So I guess we were actuallyrunning a building, the current
building that we were in and wewe had the keys to the entire
30,000 square feet or more,right, and I guess you know, one
(09:15):
day I would just up in theupstairs part of the building
and I had my little hacksaw andstarted cutting holes in the
walls.
I just had a vision.
I had a vision to say like,because me, coming from
Riverside, music captivated andhelped me see outside of those
four walls, of the drug dealersyou know what I mean People on
(09:35):
crack, people on, you know,seeing that stuff.
Going to school, every day I'mon the bus stop and I'm watching
the police chase people, allthese different things.
But music was my way of escapebecause I could have very well
gotten involved with the samethings that were going on in my
friends, Some of my friends, Ilost them and different things
were going on.
And I said, well, if musichelped me, you know, in that
time of my life, then it canhelp some of these kids that are
(09:57):
going through the same thingsright now.
And I'm beginning to, you know,cut holes in the wall and begin
to build a state of the artrecording studio.
And I was like, keep my wifedownstairs with the kids.
Yeah, For the daycare shestayed out there.
So I had all my staff members,all guys.
They said you can't go in there.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
They did their best, trying to keep me downstairs.
They really did, but for me,one of the things that you know
encouraged us to do this as wellwas because me and Fred have
nine children.
And having nine children.
The struggle was Israel, youknow, and it was, you know, all
bodies, young men, or nine ofthem, but it was real for us and
(10:38):
trying to get home and tryingto prepare meals and trying to
help with homework, it was justalmost impossible.
You know, we would be here fromsix in the morning until about
eight, nine o'clock at night,every night, and then, when you
know certain things would happen, we would have to stay even
later.
And it was just like, you know,just bringing our kids and
start creating things that weneeded as a family.
(10:59):
We started creating things herein Reeves Refuge and we
realized if we needed it, thenwe knew other families needed it
, so it was like, yeah, we needto help everybody you know not
just ourselves.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
That's help everybody .
That's really how we gotstarted and you know, things
began to grow and you know, andI mean we started gaining a lot
of popularity through throughthe media, through social media,
you know, to some of our one ofour biggest awards in 2017, we
was local Jefferson Awardwinners as well as national
award winners.
It was nice to be able toreceive a Washington DC on a big
(11:34):
stage and actually have like 15of our students perform.
So it started to create aplatform for our youth that were
one time trapped in those fourwalls of just the projects you
know, and then you start to beable to see, man, this world is
a lot bigger.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
One of the things that we've experienced is a lot
of children in the neighborhood.
You know we're in that.
You know pretty rough area, notReeves Refuge.
Reeves Refuge is on his islandby itself, to us, no trouble,
but you know a block from us.
You know it's a lot of trouble,a lot of issues and problems
that go on.
And one of our children, acouple of our children they've
(12:11):
been through a lot of differenttrauma.
Yes, a lot of these childrenare dealing with a lot of trauma
.
So one of the goals of ours wasto get counseling.
You know, I really want toeventually.
We're doing it on a smallerscale right now, but I really
want to be able to have, like asite that is open 24 hours for
(12:31):
crisis so we can provide therapy, so we can be here to provide
that support.
Because I realized at night itwas many nights me and Fred have
to purchase hotel stay.
You know food, you know clothes, children going into the closet
when would they go?
Speaker 2 (12:50):
And it's amazing because I, you know, I was just
on the website and you know Isaw over a thousand, you know,
children have been mentored.
You know, and I mean thatimpact, you know, is almost
beyond measure, because you knowof those thousand, they might
change someone's life just fromhaving that experience at Reeves
(13:11):
Refuge, you know.
So it could be tens ofthousands of people impacted in
that ripple that goes out intothe world just by putting that
energy out there.
And you know, another thing Iwant to salute, I want to salute
y'all because you said you hadnine children.
I'm about to have my secondchild and, man, I'm tired.
(13:32):
Y'all.
I got a two-year-old.
I'm about to have my second andI'm tired.
Y'all just made me.
Y'all just made me I had to situp straight.
I'm like, come on now, I got to, I got to get it right here.
You know what I mean so thankyou for that inspiration also,
you know what I mean, you know.
So that's definitely get a bigtime salute there.
You know what I mean.
(13:54):
And just you come intoconclusion here.
You know, is there somethingthat you want to leave the
listeners with as far as whereyou're going in the future?
What you're looking to, youknow.
What do you need?
You know what I mean, what.
What are some of the thingsthat you see in your vision, you
know, going forward.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
Well, if I could start and I know my wife would
chime in but one of our greatestaccomplishments were being able
to purchase this 39,000 squarefeet building.
You know, right here in thenortheast side of one was big
stakeholders here now and one ofthe things is that we were able
to purchase this during COVIDin 2020.
Such a great accomplishment.
Not only not only that you knowwe have started renovations for
(14:36):
a new process where ReevesRefuge actually is expanding.
You know we are actuallyexpanding 22,000 square feet
more to be more of a service tonot just our youth and children,
but to the parents as well.
Job finds, mental health.
You know those are the type ofthings that we're getting
growing in, and one of thethings is Reeves Refuge will be.
(14:56):
You know we want Reeves Refugeto be located in other cities.
You know, throughout the United.
States.
That's a great goal of ours, youknow, and one of the things is
too that we would like to say isthat if anyone wants to come by
and give a tour even you, youknow please come by, take a tour
of the facility, you know it'sI mean talking about it, don't
sell it.
Jim always said that, bringthem here, please come down, you
(15:20):
know one more time.
And woman come take a tour ofwhat we're doing over here in
the northeast side of woman tohear a lot of negative stuff.
By guarantee you're going toleave out of here inspired and
excited when you leave out ofthis place.
Speaker 4 (15:32):
Okay, and I would add that right now we need 5.8
million dollars to renovate thisfacility Right now.
We, like Fred said, we startedwe're doing.
We're taking piece by piece.
We are right now just trying toraise the rest of this money so
that we can get all these rooms.
(15:53):
Right now we're currentlybusting out the scenes we have.
We have about our studio.
We probably can hold about fivechildren and four children in
there at one time.
We, once we do our expansion,we'll be able to hold at least
15 to 20 kids in the studio atone time.
In our library room right now wewe can only hold about, I'll
(16:14):
say, maybe five or six childreninside the library.
We want to create a library onthis side of woman's and where
they're able to actually, youknow, the community can actually
come in and come into thelibrary.
Not only that, we're trying tocreate a family therapy room so
we'll be able to provideservices to the entire family at
(16:36):
one time.
Another thing we're trying tocurrently we have a space of 12
computers In our computer lab.
We want to be able to provide aspace that we're able to house
25 children in our computer lab.
So we have right now we're justtrying to expand the Current
(16:58):
programs that we have right nowin the building.
So we just need to expand andadd to.
That's it, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Covered it.
I think you, she pretty muchcovered it all and I just think
that, um, you know, on this sideof woman 10 again, you hear so
many negative things.
This is a beacon of light.
If you look at our logo, youknow, you look at that, that
diamond in the wood we're thatdiamond in the rough, you know.
And those streams that flowfrom Reese's refuge.
You know, we pour love backinto the community and I always
believe that love is an actionword.
(17:28):
It ain't what you just sayabout, it's what you do.
Speaker 4 (17:31):
We put in everything.
It's the show that we areserious about helping our
community.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Actually I'd like to speak on that if you don't mind,
terrence, but before I do, Ithink it's important that we we
thank Delaware Division of Artsbecause Through that
organization We've been able tomeet this year with Tony for
(17:58):
Linda who, with the DelawareAlliance of Nonprofit
Advancement, has helped us, hashelped us Build the board, has
helped us create some strategicinitiatives.
We have a Some board trainingthat we still need to complete,
(18:22):
but we've been able to do a lotof a lot of growth in just the
last six months Through thatinitiative.
So, through Tony's help and and, of course, through the
Delaware Division of Arts, thatwas made possible and so thank
you for that, thank you you knowyour organization for that,
(18:46):
because it's been critical.
We have.
We had to do this and I thinkthat went hand in hand with some
other Positive things that ourteams been able to do.
Between the work that Fred andCora have done and then with the
board all together We've beenable to do.
Together we've been able, in thelast Year and a couple months,
(19:09):
have been able to raise 775thousand dollars in in Funds to
to build this dream.
They talked about expandingReads refuge center and that is
the goal we still need to raisemore money, or said, five point
eight million dollars.
So what, really?
(19:33):
What the board training hasallowed us to do is to do the
strategic plan that allows us toget to that point, and without
that, you know, it's like nothaving a road map.
But Until until we raised thisis really critical, though,
until we raised at seven hundredseventy five thousand dollars,
(19:55):
90% of the funding for easerefuge every year came from Fred
and Cora, the whole thing allthose years.
So what is that about?
Almost like ten years up, tenyears.
So the ten years or ten or tenyears before that, 90% of the
funding was Fred and Cora, andthat, to me, is Putting your
(20:23):
money where your mouth is feelso inspired hearing these
stories and just you know,knowing that that work is being
put in these kids.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
You know they're going to be 50, 60 years old,
looking back on the experiencesthey're having right now and
telling their children.
And you know so it'sintergenerational change, like
you were saying, and that'ssomething that is such a
blessing to us all because youknow, you know the community it
does take hard work, you know,to be in there in the trench and
(20:59):
really be there with the kidsin those moments.
So, like Jim was saying, anyonelistening to this hear that
blessing that is.
You know that is providing forthe kids.
And you know, really, you know,get down and reach refuge.
You know, go in and you know,and see your checkbooks and
donate.
(21:19):
You know, because this isabsolutely a transformational
thing in the community and Ifeel very blessed to be able to
speak with you all today.
And you know I look forward,absolutely I look forward to
seeing all the wonderful thingsin the future and you know
Reed's Refuge is popping up allover the country.
(21:40):
You know, maybe, maybeinternational.
We're going to keep that energygoing and, like I said, I
appreciate your time and we'regoing to sign off here.
I'm just going to stoprecording.
Let me just make sure.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
I okay, Thank you.
Thank you again for theopportunity.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
I'm honestly, I feel blessed just to again be able to
um.
For Delaware State of the Arts.
My name is Terrence Van and Iam joined today by Fred and Jim
Miller of Reeves Refuge.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
I am Jim Miller and I am the Chair of the Board for
Reeves Refuge Center.
I have been the Chair since2019 and it has been a pleasure
and an honor serving on theBoard for this organization
because, as I will express later, I think it is a very unique
(01:18):
organization and I have seenfirsthand the wonders that they
have done in the community andhow special it is for Wilmington
.
But we can get into that.
I think once the listeners hearthe story of Cora and Fred and
(01:39):
how they got started, they aregoing to be very inspired.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
How you doing.
I'm Frederick Reed, co-founderof Reed's Refuge Center.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
And I'm Cory co-founder of Reed's Refuge
Center.
Oh, what's with that.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Yeah, so just to give you a little brief, you know,
on Reed's Refuge Center, westarted like in 2012.
I want to say our doors beganto open.
The idea, you know, came from alot of violence that was going
on in Wilmington.
Wilmington was called MurderCity and all these different,
you know.
You know negative names and youknow music was always driving
(02:14):
our youth, you know, to do someof the things that they were
doing.
It was, you know, getting themexcited and inspiring them.
You know to do some negativethings.
And so, with a musicalbackground, you know, I thought,
well, maybe we can take thatsame, you know, concept but
change the lyrical content youknow, of the music.
So that was our drawing cardwas music.
(02:35):
You know changing the lyrical.
You know changing the lyrical.
You know lyrics and giving them, you know, giving our youth an
opportunity to expressthemselves in a way that they
can be heard and not to benegative.
You know not.
You know talking down incommunity, the orgatory, you
know, to the women, those typeof things you know.
So we wanted to give them aplatform.
You know where they can beheard and there's so many
talented, you know, young peoplein Wilmington.
(02:56):
You know, and you know,wilmington's a small city.
So, and you know, we wanted togive opportunity for people to
expound on their talents andtheir gifts.
So that's where it originallycame from, but then it turned
into, you know, education,education.
You know, once you know, Ibelieve that I'm in my wife also
.
We both believe that once youknow, we can get their hearts
and get their attention and getthem involved, then they're able
(03:17):
to, you know, you can teachthem at that point.
So we begin to use music as a,you know, driving force to
educate.
You know, teaching them beatsper minute.
You know, state of the artrecording studio recording, and
we added our culinary artsclasses, which is called Cooking
what Out of Stove, teaching ouryoung latchkey.
You know, youth, how to preparefull meals using a microwave,
(03:40):
because a lot of them were goinghome, because their parents
were in survival mode, having towork, you know, all the time.
They were home alone sometimes,and they would, you know.
So we gave them ways that theycan use that microwave and the
way they can make some healthymeals.
You know, not just healthymeals, but smoothies, exposing
them to different things,different fruits.
You know different things.
That's good for the body, youknow.
So that was our culinary arts.
(04:01):
You know multi-media.
We do multi-media here,teaching our young people how to
fly drones.
You know shoot videos,photography, you know.
So it began to grow so speedilyand fast, you know here.
Do you want to add anything?
Go ahead.
Good morning.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
Also one of the things that we do here at Reads
Refuge.
We make sure that the childrenare fed dinner at night.
We make sure that they're red.
We have something called streamthat we added stem from stem, we
added reading, any arts to itand what we do is we allow, make
sure that the children gethomework help, their help with
math, their help, they get helpin reading and also, like I said
(04:43):
, we make sure that they are fedwhen they go out of here.
Only thing the parents reallytechnically got to do with our
children is maybe give them asnack and let them go to bed.
All their needs have been met.
One thing about Reads Refuge wetry to fill in the gaps.
We understand the strugglebecause Fred and I come from the
same backgrounds.
(05:03):
He was born and raised over theRiverside Projects.
I was born and raised over theWest Side, so we understand the
people, we understand their cry.
So we try to be here and bethat pillar in the community
that actually helps fill inthese gaps that the parents are
struggling in Because, like Fredsaid, during survival mode
(05:24):
nobody got time to prepare afull meal.
We're used to giving themnoodles and noodles.
So it's like you got work, yeah, when you got to work, and
you're trying to make ends meet.
You know we don't have time tosit down and read to our
children before they go to bed,so that's one of the things that
Reeves Refuge tried to makesure that we read to the
(05:45):
children before they leave here.
And you know, we just make surethat all the needs of the
children have been met afterleaving Reeves Refuge Center.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Sure, and one of the things that I would like to add
to that is that one of thethings that make us very unique,
we're proud owners of twochildcare facilities, so we're
and then Reeves Refuge isconnected our non-profit right
to the building, so we have anopportunity to have them from
the cradle until they're adults.
So a lot of times we get them.
I mean, we have, you know,youth that we started back in
(06:16):
what oh five with in childcareand we got some of the same
students that came through thatare actually working here and
teachers here.
At this point I'm just likewe're getting old.
We've been doing this for along time.
It's exciting to see, you know,that I had this little six week
old baby and now they're like19 and 20 and working in the
(06:39):
facility, you know.
So that's amazing to us.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
And then and not only that.
You know we're helping them.
You know, when it comes to likejobs, we're employing them.
You know we're giving themcareers, because some didn't
know that they like dealing withchildren.
You know.
So we haven't.
You know we have a chance to.
You know, allow them to see.
Ok, if you want to really workwith children, I tell everybody,
this is the place that youthink you want to be into, this
(07:04):
business.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
Working with children Reeves, refuge and Reed to
Learn Academy.
This, this is the place thatyou come because you get a
chance to.
You know, start early, dealwith the children early and
follow them until they're adults.
So this is like one of theplaces and I've had people come
through here and really say,miss Reed, I want to.
You know, I really want to workwith children and I'm like, ok,
well, I give you a job.
(07:26):
And then they have said to meMiss Reed, you know what?
I change my mind.
I'm changing my major in schoolbecause I don't want to work
with children, and I'm glad thatbecause to me, you have a
passion.
And if you don't have a passionand love, that's the most
important thing If you don'tlove people and you don't have
that spirit of love, this is notthe police for you.
(07:49):
I agree.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
I want to take a minute to remind our listeners
that you are tuned into NewsRadio 1450 WILM and 1410 WDOV
for Delaware State of the Arts.
Yeah, it's amazing, I mean it'samazing to be able to be in a
child's life and give them thatinspiration, that extra piece to
(08:12):
get them through some of thesetimes, and, you know, to have
that support, because you knowwomatin, as we know, you know, I
mean, growing up in womatinisn't always the easiest thing
in the world and sometimes thatsupport goes so.
So it goes such a far awaybecause when, when it's not
(08:34):
there, you see what happens.
You know what I mean.
Like you were saying, changingthat narrative is a beautiful
thing and so if you could giveour listeners what kind of led
into creating Reed's Refuge,what were some of the steps on
getting started, and you knowwhat was that process like for
you.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
Well, it kind of got me in trouble getting started.
Yes, it did.
So I guess we were actuallyrunning a building, the current
building that we were in and wewe had the keys to the entire
30,000 square feet or more,right, and I guess you know, one
(09:15):
day I would just up in theupstairs part of the building
and I had my little hacksaw andstarted cutting holes in the
walls.
I just had a vision.
I had a vision to say like,because me, coming from
Riverside, music captivated andhelped me see outside of those
four walls, of the drug dealersyou know what I mean People on
(09:35):
crack, people on, you know,seeing that stuff.
Going to school, every day I'mon the bus stop and I'm watching
the police chase people, allthese different things.
But music was my way of escapebecause I could have very well
gotten involved with the samethings that were going on in my
friends, Some of my friends, Ilost them and different things
were going on.
And I said, well, if musichelped me, you know, in that
time of my life, then it canhelp some of these kids that are
(09:57):
going through the same thingsright now.
And I'm beginning to, you know,cut holes in the wall and begin
to build a state of the artrecording studio.
And I was like, keep my wifedownstairs with the kids.
Yeah, For the daycare shestayed out there.
So I had all my staff members,all guys.
They said you can't go in there.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
They did their best, trying to keep me downstairs.
They really did, but for me,one of the things that you know
encouraged us to do this as wellwas because me and Fred have
nine children.
And having nine children.
The struggle was Israel, youknow, and it was, you know, all
bodies, young men, or nine ofthem, but it was real for us and
(10:38):
trying to get home and tryingto prepare meals and trying to
help with homework, it was justalmost impossible.
You know, we would be here fromsix in the morning until about
eight, nine o'clock at night,every night, and then, when you
know certain things would happen, we would have to stay even
later.
And it was just like, you know,just bringing our kids and
start creating things that weneeded as a family.
(10:59):
We started creating things herein Reeves Refuge and we
realized if we needed it, thenwe knew other families needed it
, so it was like, yeah, we needto help everybody you know not
just ourselves.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
That's help everybody .
That's really how we gotstarted and you know, things
began to grow and you know, andI mean we started gaining a lot
of popularity through throughthe media, through social media,
you know, to some of our one ofour biggest awards in 2017, we
was local Jefferson Awardwinners as well as national
award winners.
It was nice to be able toreceive a Washington DC on a big
(11:34):
stage and actually have like 15of our students perform.
So it started to create aplatform for our youth that were
one time trapped in those fourwalls of just the projects you
know, and then you start to beable to see, man, this world is
a lot bigger.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
One of the things that we've experienced is a lot
of children in the neighborhood.
You know we're in that.
You know pretty rough area, notReeves Refuge.
Reeves Refuge is on his islandby itself, to us, no trouble,
but you know a block from us.
You know it's a lot of trouble,a lot of issues and problems
that go on.
And one of our children, acouple of our children they've
(12:11):
been through a lot of differenttrauma.
Yes, a lot of these childrenare dealing with a lot of trauma
.
So one of the goals of ours wasto get counseling.
You know, I really want toeventually.
We're doing it on a smallerscale right now, but I really
want to be able to have, like asite that is open 24 hours for
(12:31):
crisis so we can provide therapy, so we can be here to provide
that support.
Because I realized at night itwas many nights me and Fred have
to purchase hotel stay.
You know food, you know clothes, children going into the closet
when would they go?
Speaker 2 (12:50):
And it's amazing because I, you know, I was just
on the website and you know Isaw over a thousand, you know,
children have been mentored.
You know, and I mean thatimpact, you know, is almost
beyond measure, because you knowof those thousand, they might
change someone's life just fromhaving that experience at Reeves
(13:11):
Refuge, you know.
So it could be tens ofthousands of people impacted in
that ripple that goes out intothe world just by putting that
energy out there.
And you know, another thing Iwant to salute, I want to salute
y'all because you said you hadnine children.
I'm about to have my secondchild and, man, I'm tired.
(13:32):
Y'all.
I got a two-year-old.
I'm about to have my second andI'm tired.
Y'all just made me.
Y'all just made me I had to situp straight.
I'm like, come on now, I got to, I got to get it right here.
You know what I mean so thankyou for that inspiration also,
you know what I mean, you know.
So that's definitely get a bigtime salute there.
You know what I mean.
(13:54):
And just you come intoconclusion here.
You know, is there somethingthat you want to leave the
listeners with as far as whereyou're going in the future?
What you're looking to, youknow.
What do you need?
You know what I mean, what.
What are some of the thingsthat you see in your vision, you
know, going forward.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
Well, if I could start and I know my wife would
chime in but one of our greatestaccomplishments were being able
to purchase this 39,000 squarefeet building.
You know, right here in thenortheast side of one was big
stakeholders here now and one ofthe things is that we were able
to purchase this during COVIDin 2020.
Such a great accomplishment.
Not only not only that you knowwe have started renovations for
(14:36):
a new process where ReevesRefuge actually is expanding.
You know we are actuallyexpanding 22,000 square feet
more to be more of a service tonot just our youth and children,
but to the parents as well.
Job finds, mental health.
You know those are the type ofthings that we're getting
growing in, and one of thethings is Reeves Refuge will be.
(14:56):
You know we want Reeves Refugeto be located in other cities.
You know, throughout the United.
States.
That's a great goal of ours, youknow, and one of the things is
too that we would like to say isthat if anyone wants to come by
and give a tour even you, youknow please come by, take a tour
of the facility, you know it'sI mean talking about it, don't
sell it.
Jim always said that, bringthem here, please come down, you
(15:20):
know one more time.
And woman come take a tour ofwhat we're doing over here in
the northeast side of woman tohear a lot of negative stuff.
By guarantee you're going toleave out of here inspired and
excited when you leave out ofthis place.
Speaker 4 (15:32):
Okay, and I would add that right now we need 5.8
million dollars to renovate thisfacility Right now.
We, like Fred said, we startedwe're doing.
We're taking piece by piece.
We are right now just trying toraise the rest of this money so
that we can get all these rooms.
(15:53):
Right now we're currentlybusting out the scenes we have.
We have about our studio.
We probably can hold about fivechildren and four children in
there at one time.
We, once we do our expansion,we'll be able to hold at least
15 to 20 kids in the studio atone time.
In our library room right now wewe can only hold about, I'll
(16:14):
say, maybe five or six childreninside the library.
We want to create a library onthis side of woman's and where
they're able to actually, youknow, the community can actually
come in and come into thelibrary.
Not only that, we're trying tocreate a family therapy room so
we'll be able to provideservices to the entire family at
(16:36):
one time.
Another thing we're trying tocurrently we have a space of 12
computers In our computer lab.
We want to be able to provide aspace that we're able to house
25 children in our computer lab.
So we have right now we're justtrying to expand the Current
(16:58):
programs that we have right nowin the building.
So we just need to expand andadd to.
That's it, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Covered it.
I think you, she pretty muchcovered it all and I just think
that, um, you know, on this sideof woman 10 again, you hear so
many negative things.
This is a beacon of light.
If you look at our logo, youknow, you look at that, that
diamond in the wood we're thatdiamond in the rough, you know.
And those streams that flowfrom Reese's refuge.
You know, we pour love backinto the community and I always
believe that love is an actionword.
(17:28):
It ain't what you just sayabout, it's what you do.
Speaker 4 (17:31):
We put in everything.
It's the show that we areserious about helping our
community.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Actually I'd like to speak on that if you don't mind,
terrence, but before I do, Ithink it's important that we we
thank Delaware Division of Artsbecause Through that
organization We've been able tomeet this year with Tony for
(17:58):
Linda who, with the DelawareAlliance of Nonprofit
Advancement, has helped us, hashelped us Build the board, has
helped us create some strategicinitiatives.
We have a Some board trainingthat we still need to complete,
(18:22):
but we've been able to do a lotof a lot of growth in just the
last six months Through thatinitiative.
So, through Tony's help and and, of course, through the
Delaware Division of Arts, thatwas made possible and so thank
you for that, thank you you knowyour organization for that,
(18:46):
because it's been critical.
We have.
We had to do this and I thinkthat went hand in hand with some
other Positive things that ourteams been able to do.
Between the work that Fred andCora have done and then with the
board all together We've beenable to do.
Together we've been able, in thelast Year and a couple months,
(19:09):
have been able to raise 775thousand dollars in in Funds to
to build this dream.
They talked about expandingReads refuge center and that is
the goal we still need to raisemore money, or said, five point
eight million dollars.
So what, really?
(19:33):
What the board training hasallowed us to do is to do the
strategic plan that allows us toget to that point, and without
that, you know, it's like nothaving a road map.
But Until until we raised thisis really critical, though,
until we raised at seven hundredseventy five thousand dollars,
(19:55):
90% of the funding for easerefuge every year came from Fred
and Cora, the whole thing allthose years.
So what is that about?
Almost like ten years up, tenyears.
So the ten years or ten or tenyears before that, 90% of the
funding was Fred and Cora, andthat, to me, is Putting your
(20:23):
money where your mouth is feelso inspired hearing these
stories and just you know,knowing that that work is being
put in these kids.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
You know they're going to be 50, 60 years old,
looking back on the experiencesthey're having right now and
telling their children.
And you know so it'sintergenerational change, like
you were saying, and that'ssomething that is such a
blessing to us all because youknow, you know the community it
does take hard work, you know,to be in there in the trench and
(20:59):
really be there with the kidsin those moments.
So, like Jim was saying, anyonelistening to this hear that
blessing that is.
You know that is providing forthe kids.
And you know, really, you know,get down and reach refuge.
You know, go in and you know,and see your checkbooks and
donate.
(21:19):
You know, because this isabsolutely a transformational
thing in the community and Ifeel very blessed to be able to
speak with you all today.
And you know I look forward,absolutely I look forward to
seeing all the wonderful thingsin the future and you know
Reed's Refuge is popping up allover the country.
(21:40):
You know, maybe, maybeinternational.
We're going to keep that energygoing and, like I said, I
appreciate your time and we'regoing to sign off here.
I'm just going to stoprecording.
Let me just make sure.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
I okay, Thank you.
Thank you again for theopportunity.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
I'm honestly, I feel blessed just to again be able to
um.
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