“Defending the Caveman” executives donated $500 to Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada to support its community food pantry. The money came from patrons, the cast and the crew.
The Community Counseling Center of Southern Nevada celebrated its 25th anniversary in April. The agency provides support and treatment to hundreds of underinsured and uninsured people suffering from mental illness, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS and other disorders.
The Fremont Street Experience raised $7,020 for Ronald McDonald House during a charity challenge that collected proceeds from SlotZilla tickets sales.
The Engelstad Family Foundation awarded a $1.6 million grant to Project 150, a nonprofit that helps homeless, displaced and disadvantaged high school students in Southern Nevada and Reno. The grant will be issued over three years to support operations and help purchase an 8,000-square-foot facility with an office, warehouse and boutique. The shop, at 3600 N. Rancho Drive, Las Vegas, will be stocked with donated clothes for the high school students Project 150 serves.
Julie Murray
Debbie Harpster is executive director of Project 150. Harpster has 12 years of experience working with nonprofit groups.
Nevada Women’s Philanthropy allocated $350,000 to Communities in Schools of Nevada. The grant will pay for 240 laptops for six high schools. Also, attorney Adam S. Kutner donated $1,000 to Communities in Schools of Nevada.
MGM Resorts Foundation gave $30,000 to the WestCare Foundation for its women and children’s campus. In addition, the campus received a $280,000 grant from NV Energy’s Solar Generations program to install solar panels. NV Energy and Black Rock Solar supplied and installed 396 panels. The campus, at 5659 Duncan Drive, Las Vegas, houses women and children who need safe shelter and substance abuse and mental health treatment.
The Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth expanded its drop-in center. The 2,600-square-foot addition enhances existing service areas and adds a kitchen, computer lab, staff office, half-court basketball, gym, art and music rooms, and private areas. Nevada Women’s Philanthropy allocated $350,000 for the project. HomeAid Southern Nevada provided $270,000 worth of services.
Jersey Mike’s Subs capped off its “Month of Giving” by donating $12,444, all proceeds from sales on a single day, to the St. Rose Dominican Health Foundation.
McDonald’s locations donated 12,692 Big Macs to homeless youths in Southern Nevada through the “Buy One Give One” program. McDonald’s owners donated one free burger to the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth for every Big Mac purchased during the event.
Three Square Food Bank received $20,000 from the Dunkin’ Donuts Baskin-Robbins Community Foundation to support the BackPack for Kids Program, which helps fight child food insecurity in Southern Nevada. The program provides hungry children with nutritious and easy-to-prepare food to take home on weekends and school vacations when other resources are not available. In addition, more than 30 Bank of America employees packed 3,375 pounds of apples for Three Square. The event was sponsored by the bank’s Hispanic/Latino Organization for Leadership and Advancement employee network group.
Jennifer Bradley
Caridad, which works with local homeless agencies, police and governments to try to end homelessness, partnered with Nacho Daddy downtown to host Undie Sunday, a sock-and-underwear drive for Catholic Charities, the Shade Tree and Salvation Army.
The Stratosphere donated $1,000 to the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth.
The Outlook Foundation of Las Vegas, which repurposes computers for children and military members, donated 50 notebook computers to the Nevada State Veterans Home. The computers will allow residents to connect with family across the country and help residents communicate with staff. Local students will volunteer to teach the residents how to operate the notebooks.
More than 225 volunteers from CarMax, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada, KaBoom! and Henderson built a playground at the John C. Kish Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada Clubhouse, 401 Drake St., Henderson. Through a $4.1 million partnership, the CarMax Foundation and KaBoom! plan to build 30 playgrounds across the United States by the end of 2015.
Erica Thompson is regional event specialist and Allison Loftus is regional events liaison at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Thompson has worked at Three Square Food Bank, Shade Tree and Catholic Charities. Loftus previously worked at Communities In Schools of Nevada and Vegas PBS.
Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada honored two groups with its Heart of Hope Award for their service to the community: the Investment Counsel Company, headed by founder and CEO Randy Garcia, and the Lied Foundation.
Julie Murray was honored at the 2015 Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Hope Gala. Murray is president and CEO of the Moonridge Group, a consulting firm that helps people, corporations and foundations reach their philanthropic goals.
After-School All-Stars Las Vegas received a $10,000 donation from the John Krakauer Charitable Trust advised by Professionals in Philanthropy. The money will be used to support two programs to help disadvantaged students in the Clark County School District: Lifetime Adventures and We Are Ready. “Lifetime Adventures gives our students the opportunity to learn social and life skills through outdoor activities, while We Are Ready is a proven middle-to-high-school transition and drop-out prevention program,” said Ranna Daud, executive director of After-School All-Stars Las Vegas.
Jennifer Bradley, a public relations consultant for Vegas PBS, was appointed to the board of directors for the Las Vegas chapter of the American Cancer Society.
Ben & Jerry’s 37th annual Free Cone Day raised money for the CASA Foundation, which helps foster children.