Immediate Needs

Meeting the Basic Needs of the Community

Unemployment, homelessness and foreclosure rates are growing. Today in southern Nevada it takes only one circumstance, like an illness or job loss, to force individuals and families out of their homes and onto the streets. You can’t learn if you are hungry and it’s hard to get a job when you have no place to sleep.

The 2008 southern Nevada homeless count reported that 4,000 homeless individuals cited “loss of a job” as a reason for being homeless.¹

It is United Way’s belief that a strong safe community cares for those in need of life’s basic necessities. When we reach out a hand to one, we influence the condition of all.

During these times of rising hardship, the real and growing needs in our community require a community wide effort to create change.

“United Way believes that a strong, safe community cares for those in need of life’s basic necessities,” said Jim Kropid, volunteer chair for the “Immediate Needs” council for United Way of Southern Nevada. “We are increasing funding to agency programs which are focused on moving people out of poverty once and for all.”

United Way is funding programs meeting the basic and emergency service needs of people so that they can focus on getting a good education and improve their skills in order to secure better-paying jobs, become financially stable and move out of poverty once and for all.

United Way’s critical “Immediate Needs” funding is helping to ensure that basic needs for food, shelter, clothing and emergency assistance are met for families and individuals across southern Nevada. School children receive weekend food; homeless youth receive housing and educational, vocational, and money management skills; families are empowered to obtain permanent housing and adults receive the tools they need to obtain a job.

In 2010, United Way committed more than $1.2 million of its “Immediate Needs” funding in 2009 to 15 local health and human service programs which delivered the following programs: American Red Cross, Boy Scouts, Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada, Community Counseling Center, Emergency Aid of Boulder City, Foundation for an Independent Tomorrow FIT, HELP of Southern Nevada, Huntridge Teen Clinic, Jewish Family Services, Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth, S.A.F.E. House, SAFE TEST/TADC, The Salvation Army, The Shade Tree and Variety Early Learning Center.

Because of you . . .

United Way of Southern Nevada in partnership with the United Labor Agency of Nevada, AFL-CIO Community Services has published and is distributing “Help for Tough Times”, a complete guide to unemployment, health care, legal assistance and other basic needs. These issues are critical to anyone in southern Nevada struggling with life altering changes such asloss of job, loss of home or lack of access to health care. Available in English and Spanish, this guide is helping individuals and families navigate the resources available in our local community.