Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

FINDLAY GOOD WORKS:

Veterans Village offers assistance to nation’s heroes

arnold stalk

Christopher DeVargas

Arnold Stalk is the founder of Veterans Village, which provides housing and crisis intervention services to those in need.

Arnold Stalk, Ph.D.

• Title: Founder

• Agency address: 840 S. Rancho Drive, Suite 4, Las Vegas 89106

• Agency phone number: 702-624-5792

• Agency website: vvlv.org

• Hours of operation: Open 24/7 year-round

• To volunteer: Call the agency or visit veteransvillagelasvegas.org

What is Findlay Good Works?

Good Works is a twice-monthly series in The Sunday in which we highlight the efforts of nonprofit groups that are making a difference in our community. You can check out the good work of more organizations by visiting facebook.com/FindlayAutoGroup.

What does your organization do?

Veterans Village Las Vegas is dedicated to the creation of an environment that is home to United States veterans. This is a unique and innovative approach to holistic and comprehensive housing, with 24/7 year-round crisis intervention intensive support services.

Public and private collaborative partnerships provide supplies and services to residents, including housing, medical, mental health and dental services, employment training, referrals and placements, food pantry/nutrition programs, and transportation to the VA Hospital and primary care clinics.

When and why was it established?

Veterans Village was established in 2012 in memory of my father, Seymour Jay Stalk, a WWII veteran of the U.S. Navy.

What are its initiatives and goals?

• Emergency housing fund: This program offers housing with crisis intervention services. It’s through the participation and generosity of our community that we’re able to serve the needs of veterans.

It’s the only 24/7 crisis intervention facility for vets and their families in Las Vegas. Any contribution — financial, temporal, physical or otherwise — goes directly to benefit those in need.

• Food and nutrition program: Veterans Village, Downtown Las Vegas launched a “Feed our vets” public/private partnership initiative for all in need of food and nutrition downtown. Donors, participants and partners include Three Square food bank, Whole Foods Markets, Trader Joe’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, White Cross Market and individual donors.

There is no excuse for our veterans or any citizen in Las Vegas to go hungry or without a home. We have operated Veterans Village for almost six years and have fed hundreds of veterans and nonveterans, and this new initiative enables us to feed even more.

• Veterans Village goes to the streets: Veterans Village joined the B Street & Owens Outreach Intervention “Mini housing connect” effort and took in eight new residents in collaboration with Clark County, HELP of Southern Nevada and the Salvation Army agencies.

What does the program hope to provide to veterans who seek its help?

• 24/7 year-round crisis intervention services

• Emergency, transitional, permanent and assisted living housing

• Medical, mental health and dental services

• Jobs

• Clothing

• 12 step methodologies and drug treatment programs

• “Continuum of care” approach to housing and support services tracking measured outcomes and long-term self-sufficiency.

What is the greatest success you have been a part of? Serving homeless people since 1977.

What can Southern Nevadans do to improve our community? Be of service, volunteer and help others.

Whom do you admire? Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., President Ronald Reagan and President John F. Kennedy.

Where do you see your organization in five years? Expanding Veterans Villages across the U.S.