Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

EDITORIAL:

County, Metro make it easy to help the homeless

With temperatures dropping and a season of charity upon us, this is a time when giving to the homeless becomes a top-of-mind issue for many Las Vegas residents.

For those who want to help this year, Clark County and Metro Police have teamed up to make it easier than ever.

Through a new website, MeaningfulChangeLV.org, the county and Metro have created a portal for residents to donate to more than a dozen local charities that provide services to help the homeless. Those organizations include the Las Vegas Rescue Mission, Three Square, Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada and the United Way of Southern Nevada.

Through the site, residents can securely provide financial donations, volunteer their time and make arrangements to give food, clothing and other items.

In a community where more than 6,000 homeless people were counted in January during an annual census, and with nearly two-thirds of those individuals living on the streets, the need for help is clear.

Meanwhile, local officials say that donating through the site will be more beneficial than giving to panhandlers directly, as support for the local organizations will go toward providing shelter, job services, medical treatment and so forth for the homeless population.

We’re not in the business of suggesting to people how best to do their charitable giving; we’ll merely say that the site offers a convenient and secure option for residents to help address what we can all agree is a pressing issue.

Another option is to help through the new Mayor’s Fund for Las Vegas LIFE initiative, a public-private partnership whose top priorities include developing the city’s homeless courtyard project.

The courtyard, at Las Vegas Boulevard and Foremaster Lane, was established last year to offer a secure place for homeless individuals and families to stay and get connected with services. It’s open 24/7, with armed security guards on duty at all times, and provides housing and employment help, restroom and shower facilities, medical and mental health services, and more.

Some of the community’s most prominent philanthropists and businesses are backing the mayor’s fund, including MGM Resorts, Wells Fargo and Tom Thomas of Thomas & Mack Co.

For more information, visit mayorsfundlv.org.

And finally, let’s remember that while the holiday season may bring the plights of the homeless into particularly sharp focus, their needs go on year-round.

By assisting them year-round, we can provide a pathway for them to improve their lives, and we make the community a better place at the same time.