LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — One in seven Southern Nevadans struggle with food insecurity.
For serving approximately 15,000 people each month around Las Vegas, The Just One Project is recognized as the Vegas Stronger Champion for June 2023 by Findlay Automotive Group.
Volunteers give groceries to 200 households each weekday at their drive-through food pantry at Decatur Boulevard near Vegas Drive, while other volunteers pack up grocers and hot meals set to be delivered to an additional 200 households each day.
The Just One Project was founded in 2014 by Brooke Neubauer. Her vision of serving people in need by lifting them up with respect has also yielded three no-cost community grocery stores, where clients can come and shop for what they need, for free.
"We love that when a client comes into The Just One Project, they literally feel like they're shopping at their favorite store," she said. "And it also makes it easier for us to serve in other ways. They want to be with us, they feel good when they leave, and I think that's the most important thing that we want our clients to take away."
The Just One Project also offers financial literacy programs for adults, as well as youth programs. They help people with various housing problems to try to stop homelessness before it starts. You can connect with the charity at their website.
"It is not easy asking for help," Neubauer told KTNV. "And if you are receiving help for the first time, it's even harder. So to remove that barrier and make someone feel good about themselves when they're in a low spot, it's just really amazing."
The charity activates over ten thousand volunteers each year, and it is unique because it permits volunteers of all ages, even younger than the typical 14 years old benchmark.
"It's all about just sharing with people that it takes just one person to make a difference in the life of another," Neubauer said. "And collectively we can come together like we do and make these huge impacts as an organization. We always say if we want people to be future leaders and we want them to fall in love with volunteering, we should start them young, so we have no age requirement."
For serving thousands of Las Vegans every month, Jeff Giles of Findlay Automotive Group honored Brooke Neubauer and The Just One Project as June's Vegas Stronger Champion.
"We're so grateful to be here and to be supporting you guys today," he said. "Findlay Automotive Group has worked with you guys a long time, and we love the organization. We appreciate you guys feeding the hungry, because what more essential need do people have than that? And thank you for showing us that just one person can make a difference," Giles told Neubauer.
