The Reagan Project: Philanthropic Ministry Springs From Family Tragedy

The Reagan Project

Philanthropic Ministry Springs From Family Tragedy

Reagan Allen

By Cleve Allen The mission of the Reagan Project Inc. is to provide community outreach in memory and honor of Reagan Allen. As Christians we seek to provide community service to underserved populations by showing encouragement through love and Christ Jesus. To promote relief to the poor, distressed, underprivileged, and combating community deterioration. - Reagan Project Mission Statement

On January 8, 2014, the Allen family suffered a devastating loss; their 29-year-old son took his own life. This is his father’s account of the circumstances that led to Reagan’s tragic demise. Reagan, our younger son, inherited bi-polar disorder from his maternal grandmother, and when he was in high school, it reared its ugly head. We took Reagan to doctor after doctor and the answer was the same – drug him. Reagan didn’t like the way the drugs made him feel or act, and he was allergic to many of them. At the same time, he was toiling with his sexuality. Fast forward to 2013. As best we can tell, this was when he tried and was hooked on crystal meth. If you are not aware, we certainly were not, once you try crystal meth, you are hooked and very few escape this horrible addiction. Life started to spiral downhill. Reagan had been a highly successful software trainer for Fidelity Financial. On the seventh layoff, he was terminated. By the fall of that year, his life was totally out of control and he finally decided he needed help to try and kick his addiction to crystal meth. Right after the first of the year, we secured a bed at a treatment facility in Waco. Because Reagan was gay, he had to be

examined by both a psychiatrist and infectious disease doctor. At the time, there was only one infectious disease doctor in College Station, where we lived. Reagan was scheduled to have both appointments on January 8th and go to rehab on the 9th. He and I were out getting the last items he needed to take to rehab when Reagan received a call from the infectious disease doctor’s office, canceling his appointment because the doctor had a cold and was staying home. They told us it would be eight days before Reagan could be seen. This news devastated Reagan. We went home. I talked to the rehab center and they said he could not come until he had both medical appointments. When we got home, Reagan said he wanted to take a nap and to wake him up for the psychiatrist appointment. When I went to wake him, he had hung himself. I tried CPR and called 911. The doctors at the hospital worked on him for close to two hours before finally deciding it was over. (from left) Jennifer Allen, Rev. Dr. Sterling Allen, Hannah Allen, Cleve Allen, Benadine Allen, and Adrian Griffin, Kids Meals CFO

Rev. Dr. Sterling Allen, Hannah Allen (Sterling's daughter), and Benadine Allen

That night, while trying to plan a memorial service, the family decided to be honest about Reagan’s suicide and drug addiction. We have never once regretted that decision. We truly believe God has laid this path before us. By helping others, and by talking about these issues, we might just save one life.

By Patricia Hudson

In 2015, on the first anniversary of Reagan’s death, the Allen family established The Reagan Project. The ministry’s first gift was a $600.00 donation of Starbucks Gift Cards to the HIV/AIDS ministry at Bering United Methodist Church, Houston. Reagan’s parents, Cleve and Benadine, their son, Reverend Dr. Sterling M. Allen and his wife Jennifer have honored Reagan through annual community service. Projects have included delivering dinners to homeless camps in downtown Houston, serving breakfast tacos to veterans, their families, and VA Hospital Houston staff, and providing 66,372 individual meals, a week’s pantry staples, to single parent and homeless families in Harris and Waller Counties. “On November 7, 2018, the Reagan Project Inc., became a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit. This allowed us to accept donations on behalf of the ministry. Prior to this, our family covered all of the costs,” explains Cleve, President of the Reagan Project, Inc. “The Reagan Project is supported by the Good Shepherd United Methodist Church Missions Committee, church members, community businesses, organizations and individuals. Volunteers come from Good Shepherd Church, Harris County Youth Services, Precinct 1 Community Emergency Response Team (Pct. 1 CERT), the Fairfield 4-H Club, the Jersey Village High School ROTC, and other community groups.” Since January 2021, The Reagan Project Inc. has supported Kids Meals of Houston with monetary donations of over $33,000. “During the summer when lunch needs increase, the rising cost of peanut butter and jelly, together with the recall of peanut butter made it difficult to get a supply. This year, we were able to purchase $3,000 in peanut butter and jelly, and boxed cereal for Kids Meals,” recalls Cleve. Extending its reach worldwide, the RPI sent two money wires to the Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary in Kiev, Ukraine earlier this year. These funds will be earmarked for food and first aid supplies for

1,500 bags of groceries collected in a food drive

those that are unable to flee the bombing and shelling in Kiev due to age and medical condition. On Sunday, January 8, 2023, The Reagan Project, Inc. will help support Kids Meals’ family food bag operation in delivering approximately 3,399 family food bags of canned goods and a bag of rice or beans. The hope is to fill 2,500 bags with groceries at Good Shepherd Methodist Church that Sunday. To date, The Reagan Project, Inc., has donated $116,650 dollars in food and supplies for the underserved population of Houston. However, the current economy and lack of substantial donations have caused the Allen family considerable concern. “The Reagan Project, Inc. starts each year with a zero balance. We give away every dollar raised. We do not have any corporate sponsors at this time; all of our monies come from donations. To continue to serve, we need your donations.” Please donate by sending a check to: The Reagan Project, Inc., 20263 Ivory Valley Ln, Cypress, TX 77433, or through Zelle: 512-925-4984. For additional information, email: cleveallen@att.net.

Jennifer Allen (Sterling’s wife) and Benadine Allen loading grocery sacks for the food drive

If you know of an exceptional Greater Fairfield, Bridgeland/Blackhorse Ranch, Towne Lake, Coles Crossing, or Cypress Creek Lakes individual or family that needs to be featured in an upcoming issue of PinPointe Magazine, please contact me: texasteacher024@outlook.com.