United Way leader says LV charities can't keep up

The Las Vegas Valley needs to consider overhauling its social-service network, in part because of the staggering growth the area is experiencing.

That is the contention of Garth Winckler, president of the United Way of Southern Nevada.

Winckler outlined some of the challenges the area is experiencing during a meeting Monday with the Southern Nevada Strategic Planning Authority.

"Every two years, we have the equivalent of a city the size of Albany, N.Y., or Eugene, Ore., move here," he said.

This rapid growth is creating challenges that charities are having trouble keeping up with.

Two of the largest groups moving to Southern Nevada are young families and senior citizens. Both groups place a greater demand on social services, Winckler said.

Large numbers of families, who have yet to find employment and do not have enough money to pay the deposit to rent an apartment, are fueling growth in the area's homeless population, according to Winckler.

While the growth is placing greater demands on social services than in many American cities, charitable giving lags behind the rest of the country, he said.

The rate of giving is about half the national average, Winckler said.

"Is it asking too much just to be average? We aren't even close to being average."

Winckler explained the reasons for the lower giving are twofold: the transitory nature of Las Vegas prevents a sense of community from being established and Las Vegas has a larger percentage of people in the service industry than other cities.

"Contributions from the service sector of the economy are generally lower than in other sectors such as manufacturing or even high tech," he said.

Winckler added there are too many agencies providing services in the community. This creates duplication especially in administrative areas. He said agencies should look for ways of consolidating.

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