{"id":156469,"date":"2020-11-26T06:00:39","date_gmt":"2020-11-26T14:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/?p=156469"},"modified":"2020-11-24T13:36:47","modified_gmt":"2020-11-24T21:36:47","slug":"nevada-casinos-gaming-employees-continue-to-assist-the-needy-via-three-square","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/nevada-casinos-gaming-employees-continue-to-assist-the-needy-via-three-square\/","title":{"rendered":"Nevada Casinos, Gaming Employees Continue to Assist the Needy Via Three Square"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today, as many Southern Nevada residents and tourists sit down to enjoy a festive Thanksgiving dinner, a large cross-section of the population relies on local non-profits for food and other essentials. The need is greater this holiday, given the economic downturn from the coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n

\"The
Palace Station Casino was the setting where Three Square Food Bank volunteer Courtney Ford assembled boxes to give out at a food distribution held for the needy at the Las Vegas Station Casinos property in April. (Image: Erik Verduzco\/Las Vegas Review-Journal<\/em>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Workers, many of whom recently were employed at casinos, now find themselves without a job after gaming companies concluded they had no option but to undertake layoffs. More layoffs or reduced hours could take place after tighter state restrictions were imposed this week on casinos, restaurants, and bars.<\/p>\n

One of the most pressing issues for those who find themselves out of work is to have an adequate food supply.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where Three Square Food Bank comes in. Founded in 2007 by a grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the non-profit serves diverse residents in Southern Nevada, be it singles, households with children, or seniors.<\/p>\n

Typically, Three Square provides more than 41 million meals each year. That number could be higher for 2020, given recent unemployment data.<\/p>\n

As of September, Las Vegas had an unemployment rate of 14.8 percent, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nevada had an unemployment rate of 12 percent in October. These rates are among the highest in the US.<\/p>\n

As of last month, one in five individuals in Southern Nevada was described as being \u201cfood-insecure.\u201d Among them are 171,510 children, according to a Feeding America organization study.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Earlier this year, Three Square estimated there was a 30 percent jump in demand for food distributions.<\/p>\n

As the pandemic led to an economic downturn, Three Square quickly increased food distribution by 250,000 meals per week. Volunteers assisted in distributing the food.<\/p>\n

The organization\u2019s call center also regularly referred those with needs to food sites, social services, and sources for unemployment benefits.<\/p>\n

Still, proposed additional federal relief programs through stimulus checks remain stalled in Congress. It is unclear when more relief will come.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe in the food banking industry are keeping \u2026 a close watch on what happens with further stimulus,\u201d Three Square Chief Operating Officer Larry Scott\u00a0told Casino.org<\/em> this week<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

“As stimulus money winds down, there becomes a greater reliance on food banks. And so, we’re particularly aware of — and watching closely — to see what could potentially happen with more stimulus money. If not, we have a greater role to fill,” Scott added.<\/p>\n

Economically Diverse Households Need Help<\/h2>\n

One noticeable trend with this pandemic is that the need is present across income levels. Especially at drive-through distribution events, individuals from diverse socio-economic groups take part.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can easily see the difference [in] the types of automobiles that are in line waiting for food. And I can tell you, it covers all economic classes,\u201d Scott said.<\/p>\n

The pandemic has led to other changes for Three Square, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had to rebuild our methodology for prepping food because we were not able to bring the 200 or so volunteers into our building each and every day to help us pack meals and to sort produce,\u201d Scott recalled. \u201cAnd then, of course, distributing the food had to be done with social distancing.\u201d<\/p>\n

On top of that, many volunteers, especially seniors, had to curb volunteering activity to reduce risk of contracting coronavirus.<\/p>\n

But an efficient system was put in place to expand both food pantry offerings and provide food at drive-through distribution sites. Often, the drive-up events had cars lined up for several miles.<\/p>\n

Casino Workers Well-Represented Among Volunteers<\/h2>\n

Gaming and hospitality workers, as well as casino companies, are among those who volunteer their time and money to help the program.<\/p>\n

We’ve had many hospitality industry people volunteer to help at our drive-through distribution sites,\u201d Scott said. \u201cYou are able to interact with those folks\u2026. It’s been heartwarming to watch people who had their lives interrupted with unemployment, also willing to come out and donate their time and serve others in the community.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

He confirmed, too, how the hospitality industry has \u201calways been a tremendous support\u201d for Three Square. \u201cInitially, when the [gaming] properties closed [in March], many of them emptied their freezers and their coolers and pantries, and we rescued hundreds and hundreds of thousands of pounds of food in a matter of a few days \u2026 to redistribute \u2026to the needy,\u201d Scott said.<\/p>\n

Since then, casino operators like Boyd Gaming Corp. or Station Casinos<\/a> provided parking lots free of charge for food distribution events.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe COVID pandemic \u2026 clearly had a significant impact on our community.\u00a0 As one of the largest companies in the Valley, we felt an obligation to provide additional assistance to our neighbors \u2026,\u201d said David Strow, a spokesman for Boyd Gaming. \u201cThree Square has stepped up to help thousands of Valley residents over the past year. We\u2019re honored to help support them in their mission.\u201d<\/p>\n

This Thanksgiving, Three Square will also provide holiday food boxes. Holiday trimmings will be included.<\/p>\n

Also, normal boxes with produce, dairy products, and meats continue to be distributed.\u00a0Given the need, organizations like Three Square are ready to help.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI think that the greatest words of encouragement that I can offer to those who are needy is that there is a massive army of people who care about them and who are donating their time and treasure and talent, to being able to make sure that these people do not go hungry,\u201d Scott said. \u201cHelp is always just around the corner for them.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today, as many Southern Nevada residents and tourists sit down to enjoy a festive Thanksgiving dinner, a large cross-section of the population relies on local non-profits for food and other essentials. The need is greater this holiday, given the economic downturn from the coronavirus pandemic. Workers, many of whom recently were employed at casinos, now […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":156473,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[33810],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nNevada Casinos, Workers Help Three Square Thanksgiving, Year-Round<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Three Square provides more than 41 million meals a year in Southern Nevada. 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It could be higher for 2020 given recent unemployment data.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/nevada-casinos-gaming-employees-continue-to-assist-the-needy-via-three-square\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Casino.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Casino.OrgNews\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-11-26T14:00:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-11-24T21:36:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/three-square-pic.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1043\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ed Silverstein\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@casinoorgedsilv\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Casino_Org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ed Silverstein\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/nevada-casinos-gaming-employees-continue-to-assist-the-needy-via-three-square\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/nevada-casinos-gaming-employees-continue-to-assist-the-needy-via-three-square\/\",\"name\":\"Nevada Casinos, Workers Help Three Square Thanksgiving, Year-Round\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/nevada-casinos-gaming-employees-continue-to-assist-the-needy-via-three-square\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/nevada-casinos-gaming-employees-continue-to-assist-the-needy-via-three-square\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/three-square-pic.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-11-26T14:00:39+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-11-24T21:36:47+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/b3771b02527bcbda9af984b9b1ff098e\"},\"description\":\"Three Square provides more than 41 million meals a year in Southern Nevada. 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