Reddie Outreach Center plans grand opening ceremony, fashion show March 26

The Reddie Outreach Center (ROC) will officially celebrate its grand opening March 26 with a ribbon cutting ceremony and fashion show beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the Garrison Center.

The ROC opened at the start of the 2023 fall semester with a goal of helping students navigate daily life on campus while also providing critical assistance such as a food pantry, clothes closet, and a life skills education center, said Bobbie Lee, dean of students and director of the ROC.

“The food pantry is thriving and students shop there daily. The same goes for the clothes closet,” Lee said. “Students love coming in to look for professional clothing that they can wear for internships and interviews.”

A fashion show highlighting the women of Henderson in professional dress seemed to be a "perfect" event to close out Women’s History Month, Lee said.

“We are teaming up with Young Forever and The LH Loft Boutique to stock our clothes closet with professional dress,” she said. “They will also help dress the students for the fashion show.”

The event is free and open to the public.

Meanwhile, Lee is eager to implement new services and initiatives at the ROC.

“We are hoping to grow our food pantry to the level that we can have refrigerated items, and maybe open it to the public in addition to serving our students,” she said. “We would also love to expand our staff to add a caseworker to help students navigate their college experience.

“At the ROC, we believe in the power of advocacy to drive positive change, and we are committed to making a difference in the lives of all our students.”

For more information, go to hsu.edu/roc.

The center is completely funded through grants and the Henderson State University Foundation.