The holiday season is synonymous with smiling faces of children. The reality is that some children need more cheering up than others. In fact, the Children’s Advocacy Alliance gave Nevada an overall “D” grade in the 2020 Nevada Children’s Report Card—one of the most comprehensive annual reports on child wellbeing. But local charitable organizations are here to help children in need, and you can too.
To highlight these issues and commemorate the holiday season, we asked three children’s charity Chief Executive Officers to give us some insight into what they see daily with the children they serve and how we all can help this holiday season and beyond.
St. Jude’s Ranch for Children CEO Dr. Christina Vela
Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada CEO Andy Bischel
Spread the Word Nevada Co-Founder & CEO Lisa Habighorst
Three non-profits leading the charge to help Nevada’s youth
St. Jude’s Ranch for Children is a community of hope and healing for abused, neglected, homeless, and exploited children and young adults, ages zero to 25. CEO Dr. Christina Vela emphasized, “We believe in the power of change, and with the right support and services, at-promise children and young people can transform their lives to one of hope, joy, and dream fulfillment.”
Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada provides youth development services for Southern Nevada kids in first through twelfth grade. CEO Andy Bischel said, “Our tested, proven, and nationally recognized programs engage and empower youth, encouraging them to explore interests, develop passions, and elevate their voices. Our work is focused on three core areas: Academic Success, Healthy Lifestyles, and Character & Leadership—because these are the tools EVERY kid, regardless of household or socio-economic status, needs to have a joyful, happy, and productive life.”
Primarily serving elementary school-aged children living in low-income communities across the state, Spread the Word Nevada is dedicated to advancing childhood literacy by changing lives one book at a time. Co-Founder & CEO Lisa Habighorst declared, “Our largest area of concentration is in Clark County, where we serve children in 62 Title 1 elementary schools. We also serve three elementary schools in Washoe County, and we deliver books throughout Nevada’s rural communities.”
Discovering the true needs of youth in our community
Andy Bischel sees an “urgent need for mental health services in our community. This is especially true for youth, as the adolescent years provide a critical window in which strong mental health can be promoted, problems can be addressed, and good habits can be developed. As we work to understand and recover from the long-term effects of COVID, this issue has never been more important. Boys & Girls Clubs are working diligently to help address this deficit with new mental health and counseling services in our Clubs.”
Spread the Word Nevada gives the gift of books all year-round. Lisa Habighorst co-founded the organization to address the child literacy rate in Nevada. Lisa said, “We know the path to literacy begins at home, but unfortunately, many of the children we serve live in households of extremely limited means. In these homes especially, a book is a luxury item.” Behind this sad truth is the urgent conclusion that children “who are not reading proficiently by the third grade have a much greater chance of dropping out of high school. Our programs help make a lasting, positive impact on students, their families, and our schools.”
More than 55 years ago, St. Jude’s Ranch for Children started as a hopeful dream to build a place for neglected children. And while the mission has never changed, its services have expanded with the needs of Southern Nevada’s youth. Dr. Vela said “The needs of our community are ever-evolving, so as a non-profit leader, I think it is critical to continually assess needs, identify gaps in services, and innovate a new approach. To that end, our programs have expanded to include: therapeutic residential foster care homes, transitional living and transitional housing, pregnant and parenting teen program, scholarships, rapid re-housing services, sibling preservation to enable brothers and sisters separated in foster care to get to spend time together, and, our most recent project, to care for the growing number of child victims of sex trafficking.”
The challenges of the holiday season
Every year, the holidays are a hard time for many families with increased emotional and financial stresses. This year, these stressors are intensified as our community recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Boys & Girls Clubs understand the year-long need for their services. The Clubs will continue to focus on mental health and counseling. According to Bischel, “Youth need these services all year long.”
“The holidays are an especially challenging time for those we serve because, despite the abuse, neglect, and challenging life experiences, the children and young people in our care miss their estranged families.” Dr. Vela added, “Under our care, some of our children and youth will get to experience holiday traditions for the first time. It’s our goal is to ensure they have a positive holiday experience to create happy memories.”
How to get involved this holiday season
It’s clear we have several ever-evolving needs to address to help Nevada’s youth. And while it’s hard work to address them all, there is a great deal of hope. Each CEO agreed that they couldn’t do the work they do without the support of the community and when called upon, the community answers.
All three children’s charities work year-round to collect donations to support their various programs and services to help the youth in our community. In addition to donations, you can also volunteer at several fun holiday events.
Special holiday events
Spread the Word Nevada and St. Jude’s Ranch for Children are hosting holiday events to support Nevada’s youth. According to Dr. Vela, these holiday events have a deeper meaning for at-promise youth, “Receiving support from our community ensures we can provide children and youth with the very best holiday experience to create happy memories and reinforces to the children that they are not alone.”
December 4 & 5, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Badges and Bows Toy Drive
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and Nevada Department of Corrections, in support of St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, will host this toy drive at Walmart on 8060 West Tropical Parkway.
December 11, 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Angel Tree Toy Drive
Spread the Word Nevada will partner with the CASA Foundation of Las Vegas for their annual Angel Tree event to provide brand-new books for children under 18.
Night of Lights
St. Jude’s Ranch for Children will hold its 15th Annual “Night of Lights” festival to bring the holiday spirit to youth living in foster care. The community is invited to enjoy the festivities, visit Santa, make-your-own s’mores, eat, sing, and be merry.
December 18
Gift of Giving
The annual event brings together brothers and sisters separated in foster care. Siblings pick out a gift for each other, wrap it, and then get to see each other open it. They enjoy a holiday meal and fun activities. For most, this will be the only time they get to see each other over the holidays.
Any Day – Donate or Volunteer
Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada is always accepting donations and volunteers. To learn more about individual or group volunteering, corporate sponsorships, donations, or planned giving, visit BGCSNV.org.
St. Jude’s Ranch for Children is always looking for volunteers and donations. Be the first to have your name on a paver at the new Healing Center, check out the kids’ Amazon Wish List, or invest in a child by gifting or signing up—for as little as $10 a month—for the Red Heart Giving Society, a monthly donor giving program. Visit stjudesranch.org for details.
Spread the Word Nevada accepts monetary donations online, while donations of new or gently used books of any age level can be made at their Henderson facility. For more information, visit spreadthewordnevada.org.