Outreach is the effort to connect with and help people, especially those who might not easily get services or information.
From “out” and “reach,” originally meaning to reach out farther than something else. It shifted in the 20th century to mean reaching out socially to groups or communities.
Outreach flips the usual direction: instead of waiting for people to come to you, you go to them. It’s the opposite of gatekeeping—its whole purpose is to pull more people in.
Community and care-oriented ‘outreach’ work has often been feminized and undervalued, with women disproportionately performing this labor in health, education, and social services, frequently without recognition or adequate pay.
Acknowledge outreach as skilled work and avoid assuming it is or should be done primarily by women or any particular gender.
When describing outreach programs, credit the women and gender-diverse organizers, health workers, and educators whose labor sustains these efforts.
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