September is Hunger Action Month, and here at Nevada HAND, our Resident Services team is proud to offer on-site food pantries to help seniors facing food insecurity. Food insecurity means having limited access to enough food due to a lack of money. In 2020, 1 in 15 seniors faced hunger, and in Las Vegas, 7.2% of seniors were food insecure. Working with a tight and often fixed budget, these seniors must find a way to prioritize the immediate need for food while balancing payments for utilities, housing, transportation, and health costs. The link between housing stability and food access is crucial, and with increasing rents and a shortage of affordable housing units in Southern Nevada, food insecurity is becoming a rising issue.
We strive to be “More Than A Home”, as each community offers affordable rents in addition to our Resident Services Program that helps to address the specific needs of nearly 8,000 residents. Focusing on the issue of food insecurity, we offer on-site food pantries at three senior communities: Bonanza Pines, Stewart Pines, and Rochelle Pines, with other pantries opening soon. Each resident has the freedom of choice and can choose from a variety of foods such as fruits, vegetables, bread, milk, eggs, protein, and canned goods.
“Nevada HAND doesn’t just talk the talk! Having on-site pantries for seniors proves dedication and compassion. COVID-19 brought fear to many residents. Not having to go to the grocery store as much was one less worry! The pantry team is proud to participate in the effort to make More Than A Home!” – Roselee Coleman, Food Pantry Manager
This year the Pantry team served 377 residents with each resident visiting the pantry an average of 13 times. The pantries are made possible by generous donations and strong partnership and collaboration of Three Square Food Bank.
Nevada HAND’s Resident Services is founded on four pillars: Education, Health & Wellness, Financial Stability, and Community Engagement. Resident Services Coordinators meet one-on-one with residents to assess their needs and connect them with critical resources, programming, and information that offer them social, financial, educational, and health-related benefits, including food pantries, and transportation.
To support Nevada HAND’s Resident Services to enable our residents to have the supportive services that allow them to live well and make their community “more than a home,” consider following Nevada HAND, @nevadahandlv, on social media or donating a one time or reoccurring gift. CLICK HERE.
