Las Vegas Sun

March 19, 2024

Shade Tree shelter kicks off fund-raiser

The Shade Tree homeless shelter for women and children has nudged a little closer to building a new facility, after purchasing nearly an acre of land across the street from its present location.

The shelter, which operates out of a 50-year-old building at the corners of Main Street and Owens Avenue, is scheduled to be demolished within 18 months. The 5,000-square-foot structure can house about 84 women and children on any given night.

The new proposed $2.5 million facility will offer between 25,000 and 30,000 square feet of space and be capable of housing from 250 to 300 homeless single women or mothers with children.

Shade Tree, however, has only raised $25,000 from a United Parcel Service grant it received a year ago.

The UPS Foundation started its grant program in 1984 to aid selected areas with health, human welfare and urban programs. Grants range from $10,000 to $100,000.

"Community support will be a critical part of our campaign to raise money," said Brenda Dizon, executive director of Shade Tree. "We really believe the community will back us on this. We are looking for corporate donors and will also pursue grants."

Shade Tree is kicking off its Capital Campaign drive today in an effort to raise $2.5 million, Dizon said. If it doesn't raise the money before the demolition date, she said the shelter will relocate into a temporary facility.

The women's shelter has leased its current residence from the nonprofit organization Catholic Charities since December 1990. On Dec. 21, it will mark its seventh year of serving women and children in need.

Shade Tree is open 24 hours, seven days a week. Any single woman or women with children can stay at the shelter, provided she doesn't have a permanent address. She need not be a resident of Nevada.

"We are in the true sense of the term an emergency shelter," Dizon said.

Donations can be sent to the Shade Tree Capital Campaign, Box 669, Las Vegas, NV, 89125, or deposited in Bank of America account No. 014446819.

For information, call the Shade Tree office at 385-0072.

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