Reggie Kelley
Founder, Executive Director
Rise Above Poverty Syracuse

OUR MISSION
To bring community awareness and engagement to alleviate the socio-economic issues of homelessness and poverty, focusing on the Syracuse City School District by providing life essentials, educational training, and mentorship to the underserved youth in our community.
The Syracuse City School District is NO. 1 for number of homeless students in New York State outside of New York City. One in 10 Syracuse City School District students are homeless, and nearly half (44%) of Syracuse children are living in poverty.

As a result, having access to basic necessities is one of many burdens homeless and poverty-stricken students face. Lacking basic personal care prevents students from attending school, focusing on their studies, and succeeding academically and socially.

Where does Rise Above Poverty Syracuse fit into this story?

At Rise Above Poverty Syracuse, we strive to provide students the chance to advance out of poverty—a chance many people didn’t think they would.

We are a donation-based non-profit organization with two focuses:

1) Providing students living in poverty basic necessities such as underwear, soap, hygiene products, socks, and winter coats/jackets

2) Engaging the community in the discussion of the damaging effects of homelessness and poverty in Syracuse, and mobilizing the community to take actionable responses to address the growing issue.

To achieve our goals, we build strong partnerships with local schools in the Syracuse City School District and hold events and fundraisers for community engagement.

https://www.riseabovepovertysyr.org/