REACH Wins $50,000 Kubota Grant to Expand Klamath Falls Job Training
The grant will expand job training and employment opportunities through REACH’s Ready Set Mow program.
Ready Set Mow: A REACH participant sits on a Kubota mower that will support hands-on training and employment through the nonprofit’s Ready Set Mow program. Submitted photo.
AT A GLANCE
Organization: REACH, Inc. in Klamath Falls.
Award: $50,000 total.
Cash: $25,000.
Equipment support: $25,000 toward Kubota equipment.
Program: Ready Set Mow: Jobs & Mobility.
Purpose: Expand job training and employment opportunities for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities.
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. — A Klamath Falls nonprofit is getting a $50,000 boost to a workforce program that helps adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities gain practical job skills and employment experience.
REACH, Inc. was selected as one of just 10 organizations nationwide to receive a 2026 Kubota Hometown Proud grant.
“We are passionate about partnering with REACH Inc. because their Ready Set Mow program opens doors of opportunity for people in our Klamath Falls community.
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The award combines $25,000 in cash with another $25,000 toward the purchase of Kubota equipment. REACH plans to put the funding toward its Ready Set Mow: Jobs & Mobility program, which trains participants in lawn care and grounds maintenance while providing opportunities to work in the community.
The new equipment will allow participants to train on professional mowing equipment similar to what they may encounter on the job, while also giving REACH additional capacity to expand the program.
Pelican Tractor, Kubota’s local Klamath Falls dealer, is partnering with REACH on the project.
“We are passionate about partnering with REACH Inc. because their Ready Set Mow program opens doors of opportunity for people in our Klamath Falls community,” Joe Riester of Pelican Tractor said. “By providing the best turf equipment, we are directly investing in their job skills and economic independence.”
Riester said working with the program is also an investment in building a skilled local workforce.
Grant Celebration: REACH participants, staff, and community partners gather with new Kubota equipment tied to the nonprofit’s Ready Set Mow workforce program. Submitted photo.
REACH has long focused on employment support, job training, and economic opportunities for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities in the Klamath Falls area.
Ready Set Mow takes that work into the field, giving participants experience with lawn care and grounds maintenance while building skills that can translate into ongoing employment.
The grant is expected to help REACH serve more participants and expand the amount of hands-on training available through the program.
Hometown Proud Grant: Representatives from REACH and its local partners pose with a $25,000 Kubota Hometown Proud grant check, part of a $50,000 award that also includes equipment support. Submitted photo.
For the people taking part, the goal extends beyond learning how to operate a mower. The program is intended to provide work experience, greater independence, and a stronger connection to the community through employment.
REACH was selected from a field of more than 1,100 applications submitted to Kubota’s 2026 Hometown Proud program.
This year’s 10 recipients represent projects focused on workforce development, agricultural education, food security, youth programs, and environmental stewardship in communities around the country.
Kubota says the Hometown Proud program has provided more than $2.9 million in funding and equipment to local projects since it began.
For REACH, the national grant will translate into something much more local: more equipment, more training capacity, and more opportunities for Klamath Falls residents participating in the Ready Set Mow program.
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