Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada (BGCSNV), Lutheran Social Services of Nevada (LSSN) and Clark County broke ground on buildings that, when completed in the first quarter of 2018, will be the first campus-style service partnership of its kind in Nevada. The nonprofit organizations are part of an innovative affordable living community with co-located services for working families who will become residents of the Boulder Pines Family Apartments being developed by Nevada HAND. Their services also are available to the entire community.
Funding for the BGCSNV and LSSN buildings was made possible largely by a $5.794 million grant through the Department of Housing and Neighborhood’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant program (CDBG). Administered locally by Clark County, this federal grant is the largest single award to a nonprofit partnership through CDBG in Southern Nevada in its 40-year history.
Nevada HAND, a local nonprofit real estate development and management organization and its affiliate company, HAND Construction Company, is building the new BGCSNV club and LSSN headquarters and services building on the Boulder Highway site in addition to the Boulder Pines Family Apartments with rents starting at $553 per month with income qualification.
Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani; BGCSNV, LSSN, Nevada HAND, Clark County, HUD, CDBG and NeighborWorks America representatives; and BCCSN youth clients participated in the traditional groundbreaking ceremony that included remarks and turning the dirt at the Boulder Highway site. Other Boulder Pines partners and neighbors attended including representatives from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, nearby businesses, and adjacent Mater Academy also attended.
“This unique partnership bringing three complementary nonprofit organizations together to support working families is a shining example of the huge and positive impact that federally-funded HUD Community Development Block Grants are having in communities and neighborhoods across the country, and why we need to ensure that federal funding of CDBG funds continue,” said Commissioner Giunchigliani, whose district encompasses the Boulder Highway collaborative campus. “On behalf of Clark County, it’s a pleasure to participate in this revolutionary groundbreaking.”
Andy Bischel, president and CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada, said, “We are excited to break ground on our 15th clubhouse as part of a collaborative campus with Nevada HAND and Lutheran Social Services of Nevada. The Boulder Highway site will positively impact an additional 200 youth daily in a part of our community that is currently underserved.”
The new Boys & Girls Clubs facility will provide a place for youth, ages 5 to 18, to participate in fun and engaging activities and programs supervised by trained staff in a safe, positive place when school is not in session. The new club will include a game room, learning center, kitchen, cafeteria, arts & crafts room, tech center, and teen center. Club members also will have access to tutors during the school year and nutritional meals year-round. BGCSNV runs tested and proven developmental programs that provide youth with opportunities to learn and grow into productive, caring, responsible citizens.
“We are incredibly heartened by the community support we’ve received for our new facility,” said Armena Mnatsakanyan, executive director for Lutheran Social Services of Nevada. “Our new and innovative facility combined with increased collaboration with our community partners will enable us to serve of thousands more community members while providing higher quality service.”
The LSSN building will serve as the nonprofit’s new comprehensive community safety net center,
providing critical services to the community, including a grocery style and digital food pantry, and in collaboration with agencies covering mental health, nutrition, employment, housing, and other critical services.
“We’re so proud of and pleased to be a part of this great community collaboration with Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada Club and Lutheran Social Services of Nevada in bringing their comprehensive services to enhance the lives of the working families who will call Boulder Pines Family Apartments home,” said Mike Mullin, founder and CEO of Nevada HAND. “And the unique on-campus location makes accessing benefits so much easier for them and others in the neighborhood. This is the only community of its kind in Nevada.”
The first phase of Boulder Pines Family Apartments, Nevada HAND’s 31st community in the Las Vegas Valley, will be ready for occupancy in September. When completed, Boulder Pines will have a total of 264 apartments. Clark County is supporting this development financially, primarily through the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME).
In addition to BGCSNV and LSSN, Boulder Pines is adjacent to the existing Mater Academy of Nevada, a Title I Charter Elementary School, and near area community centers, shopping, employment opportunities, and bus routes. Boulder Pines also will have a resident service coordinator to help connect residents with community-wide and the on-site collaborative services.
Applications are now being accepted with income qualification. The on-site leasing office
is located at 4375 Boulder Highway, just south of Desert Inn Road. For questions, call (702) 551-8488.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada (BGCSNVV) is a nonprofit organization that operates 14 facilities in Southern Nevada, and serves more than 20,000 youth annually. The Clubhouses provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun, friendship, and high-impact youth development programs for children ages 5-18. Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada works to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Keep up with BGCSNVV events and news on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For more information, please visit www.BGCSNV.org or call 702-367-2582.
About Lutheran Social Services of Nevada
LSSN is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that has been providing compassionate human services to low-income individuals, families with and without children, and seniors in urban-core areas of Southern Nevada for the past 21 years. Our mission is to express the love of Christ by serving and caring for people in need. Although Lutheran-based, LSSN is open and inclusive in the services we offer. We have an extensive non-discrimination policy, which applies to our employment policies and service delivery. LSSN is accredited by the United Way of Southern Nevada and by the State of Nevada. For more information, please call 702-639-1730 or visit www.lssnv.org. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
About Nevada HAND
Nevada HAND (Housing And Neighborhood Development) was formed in 1993 to improve the lives of low-income individuals, families, and seniors in Southern Nevada through affordable housing solutions and supportive services. The mission-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) real estate development and management organization uses a variety of funding strategies (government grants, programs, and philanthropy) and provides related services to help residents’ economic capability, wellness, success in school, and community engagement, providing opportunities for residents to reach their full potential, stabilize families and transform lives – to thrive instead of just survive. Nevada HAND has built and currently manages 30 affordable apartment communities (31 upon completion of Boulder Pines Family Apartments) that are home to more than 6,000 people throughout the Las Vegas metropolitan area, including the only two affordable assisted living facilities in Nevada providing 24-hour support to individuals needing a higher level of care. For information, visit www.nevadahand.org or call (702) 729-3345.
About Clark County
Clark County is a dynamic and innovative organization dedicated to providing top-quality service with integrity, respect and accountability. With jurisdiction over the world-famous Las Vegas Strip and covering an area the size of New Jersey, Clark is the nation’s 14th-largest county and provides extensive regional services to more than 2.2 million citizens and 46.2 million visitors a year. Included are the nation’s 8th-busiest airport, air quality compliance, social services and the state’s largest public hospital, University Medical Center. The County also provides municipal services that are traditionally provided by cities to about 951,000 residents in the unincorporated area. Those include fire protection, roads and other public works, parks and recreation, and planning and development. For more information, please visit www.ClarkCountyNV.gov.
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