Reed Family Foundation
Ryan Hobie Reed is the founder, president and chief advocate of the Reed Family Foundation (NYRFF), a community-focused organization serving individuals and families in Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, New York. His work focuses on resource navigation, advocacy, community engagement and access to essential supplies.
Reed established the foundation in September 2026 with the goal of making it easier for Long Island families to locate and access the support they need. As president, he oversees the organization's day-to-day operations, develops community programs and maintains relationships with local service providers.
His responsibilities at NYRFF include personalized resource navigation — helping individuals identify services relevant to their circumstances — and direct advocacy, which involves supporting people as they communicate their needs to agencies and work toward goals they have agreed upon together. Reed also coordinates the distribution of hygiene and dental supply kits to community members who need them.
On the organizational side, Reed developed and maintains NYRFF's online resource directory, which lists verified services across Nassau and Suffolk counties. The site and its materials are available in both English and Spanish. He also coordinates volunteers and interns who support the foundation's programs.
The REACH Framework
REACH is the organizational framework Reed developed to describe the foundation's five areas of service. Each letter represents a distinct pillar:
Resource Finding
Helping individuals and families locate useful services, including through the foundation's online resource-finding tool, which covers food, housing, healthcare, mental health, legal aid and other categories across Long Island.
Educational Courses
Connecting community members with educational opportunities that build practical knowledge, skills and confidence.
Advocacy Services
Providing personalized support to help people navigate services, communicate their needs to providers and agencies, and work toward goals they define together with an advocate.
Community Engagement
Building connections within the community, encouraging participation in local programs and responding to emerging local needs.
Help Kits
Supporting dignity by providing kits containing essential hygiene and dental supplies to individuals and families who need them.
The five pillars are designed to work together: resource-finding points families toward support, educational programs build the capacity to use it, advocates provide direct assistance, community engagement strengthens the broader network, and help kits address immediate material needs.
Professional Experience
In addition to his work at NYRFF, Reed has served as a Parent Advocate with SCO Family of Services, a Long Island social services organization, beginning in March 2026. In that role, he assists families in navigating healthcare, housing, food assistance, transportation, mental health services and public benefits. His responsibilities include communicating with service providers and agencies on behalf of families, coordinating appointments and referrals, and maintaining documentation in accordance with confidentiality requirements.
SCO Family of Services and the Reed Family Foundation are separate organizations. SCO does not operate, endorse or sponsor NYRFF.
Earlier in his career, Reed worked in political campaign communications, focusing on social media and public engagement. That work developed his skills in reaching audiences, communicating clearly about community issues and building public awareness.
Community Engagement
Reed's community work centers on connecting individuals and families with practical assistance and building relationships with local organizations that provide services across Long Island.
Reed is an Episcopalian and is connected to the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island and St. Mary's Episcopal Church, which have informed his community outreach work.
Education, Training and Languages
Reed has studied at Suffolk County Community College, with academic interests in political science, public policy, law and community advocacy. He previously studied at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. He intends to pursue legal education.
He holds training in CPR, AED use, First Aid and Psychological First Aid. These represent completed training programs; they do not constitute medical, mental health or legal licensure.
Reed communicates in English and Spanish. His Spanish proficiency is at the B2 level — sufficient for substantive professional communication — rather than native fluency. NYRFF's website and materials are available in both languages.
Additional Background
Reed is based on Long Island, New York. He has prior maritime experience as a boat operator with the Town of Brookhaven Environmental Stewardship Program.
This is an official biography of Ryan Hobie Reed, maintained by the Reed Family Foundation.