The Leadership Advance Class of 2017 excelled in its class project in bringing support and awareness to the nonprofit Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth, the most comprehensive service provider for homeless youth in Southern Nevada.
The awareness, donation and supplies drive effort by the up-and-coming business and community leaders began in February and culminated with a check presentation and delivery of thousands of needed hygiene items, school supplies, clothing, and non-perishable food items during a recent open house at NPHY that the class sponsored. Along with the supplies donation, the class presented a check for more than $3,200 that will go toward the NPHY’s growing need of lifesaving services for homeless youth in the community.
The effort also included a previous truck donation, coordination with FOX 5 KVVU-TV for awareness initiatives, supplies drives at class members’ offices, touring the NPHY Drop-In Center, volunteering at an NPHY Feel Good Friday event for youth clients, and class members sharing NPHY information through their social media networks.
The value of the entire Leadership Advance Class of 2017 project is estimated at more than $60,000.
Leadership Advance is a 10-month leadership program of the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Foundation. The 2017 class included 17 people.
“It’s so rewarding to see the depth of services Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth offers and how this great organization is impacting the lives of kids in need with a path for them to become self-sufficient,” said Terrence Thornton, the Leadership Advance Class of 2017 project representative who is vice president of investor services and development with the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance.
He added that this is why his classmates unanimously chose NPHY for their class project and wanted to commit actively to further its mission of eliminating youth homelessness in the community. “We wanted to help homeless kids and found that Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth was the only organization of its kind that not only provided shelter for homeless youth, but also a wide spectrum of meaningful programing,” he said. “NPHY requires its youth clients to work with a social worker and proactively develop a life plan for their success.”
The FOX 5 KVVU-TV television news special aired in June, and public service announcements will be airing on the station about NPHY services and the community’s growing youth homelessness crisis.
NPHY uses the truck donated by NV Energy to transport youth clients to the DMV, UNLV, educational field trips and other activities, and to the NPHY Drop-In Center at 4981 Shirley St. near UNLV. The Drop-In Center is the hub for many NPHY services including intake processing, tutoring, counseling, extracurricular classes, life skills, legal services, recreational activities, and more.
Supplies and donation drives were held at NV Energy, Regional Transportation Commission, Century Link, Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, Internet Marketing Inc., Metro Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Southern Nevada, Century Link, FOX 5 KVVU-TV, Las Vegas, City of North Las Vegas, and Urban Chamber of Commerce.
“We’re extremely grateful for the generosity, time and commitment of all the community leaders of the Leadership Advance Class of 2017 and for their recognition of the importance of the different services and advocacy they have provided to NPHY to help youth in crisis,” said Arash Ghafoori, executive director of NPHY. “We simply couldn’t provide the comprehensive programming and 24-7 assistance we provide without the critical and wide range of support like this.”
The Leadership Advance 2017 members are: Travis Anderson, battalion chief, North Las Vegas Fire Department; Jen Bambao, director of business development, United Way of Southern Nevada; Lauren Brooks, lobbyist, McDonald Carano Wilson; Danielle Deremo, account executive, Internet Marketing Inc.; Jackie Fisher, formerly Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce; Michael Hudgeons, city traffic engineer/fleet manager, City of North Las Vegas; Kevin James, general sales manager, FOX 5 KVVU-TV; Regina Maceo, business development officer, America First Credit Union; Renee McDowell, director of human resources, MV Transportation; Vivanie Naughton-McCully, vice president and branch manager, Nevada State Bank; Joseph Pellissier, director of delivery assurance, NV Energy; Summer Rabb, manager, Urban Chamber of Commerce; Mathew Reid, insurance broker/producer, Cragin & Pike Insurance; Maisie Rodolico, formerly with Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce; Terrence Thornton, vice president of investor services and development, Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance; Michael Watson, supervisor of business and hospitality, CenturyLink; and Li Zhang, senior engineer, NV Energy.
About Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth:
Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth is the most comprehensive service provider for homeless youth in Southern Nevada, serving hundreds of youth through its core programs and by touching the lives of thousands more through outreach each year. Programs stabilize homeless teens’ lives, meeting their immediate needs and providing a safe, supportive environment and a path to self-sufficiency. They include: Outreach, Safe Place Mobile Crisis Intervention, Operation Go Home Family Reunification, Drop-In Center, Emergency Shelter, and Independent Living Program. For information and to support NPHY’s critical work to get homeless youth off the streets, visit www.nphy.org, call 702-383-1332 or follow NPHY on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/nevadapartnershipforhomelessyouth.
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