The work of Society of St. Stephen is two-fold: First, there is the Food Pantry, from which food is distributed Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Second, Helping Hand Up enables clients to transition back to the work force and/or out of undesirable living conditions. Through various resources, we have helped clients find employment, pay necessary bills prior to receiving a first paycheck, or pay for transportation back home or to another support system.

Our organization provides individuals and families just enough assistance to facilitate "a helping hand" up from abysmal poverty. The clients, however, are not given carte blanche; rather, they receive "just enough," which most often consists of non-perishable groceries for three days and a referral for employment and/or other services. Back-to-work programs are a high priority for Society of St. Stephen. Restoring hope for individuals through gainful employment is essential for restoration of an improved quality of life. The ultimate goal at St. Stephen is to offer an interview process whereby individuals are given opportunities to explore possibilities and plot courses of action in order to reclaim their independence from public assistance.

The food pantry is open:

Society of St. Stephen Reaches Out to Community
by Mary Lovelady

Society of St. Stephen welcomes community partnerships. For-profit as well as non-profit partners have offered invaluable support this year. Assistance League of Las Vegas at 6446 W. Charleston Blvd. - Beautiful teddy bears for children of families requesting food at St. Stephen. Centennial High School (Navy) NJROTC - Holiday Food Drive and occasional projects. The Gideons International - Bibles for requesting families.

Income raised through fundraising is used to purchase food. Fundraiser(s) in 2009: Pies Unlimited $683, EcoPhones (cells recycling) $ 9; Macy's Shop for a Cause cards $425; Applebee's Flapjack Breakfast $441.

Society of St. Stephen Early 2010 Servies

Gifts of Food or Money Always Appreciated
at Society of St. Stephen

The success of Trinity United Methodist Church's outreach mission, Society of St. Stephen, is facilitated in part by membership in Three Square and by selection as a distributing pantry for the Nevada State Food Distribution Program. Three Square is but one of two Feeding America food banks in Nevada. Trinity UMC is an "agency partner" of Three Square, and as one of over 100 recognized food pantries in Las Vegas, Society of St. Stephen is able to purchase many food items from Three Square at low cost. Funding for the Nevada Food Program is provided by the American Recovery Act, which allows selected pantries to receive commodity food free-of-charge. Every other month, food is delivered to Trinity's Society of St. Stephen, one of only seventeen food pantry participants in Clark County.

But in weeks between free food deliveries or in times of less available funding for food purchases, there are days when the St. Stephen food pantry shelves are nearly bare. In the photos below only a few food items are displayed. At the end of April 2010, the increase in clients of St. Stephen rose 19% over the first four months of 2009. Predictably, more individuals and families who no longer can secure sufficient employment are seeking support from neighborhood food pantries.

If you are able to contribute any food or money this summer, please do so by noting St. Stephen on your check's memo line and/or on a contribution envelope. With the ability to purchase some food at less cost from Three Square, a little sometimes buys more. Several examples of foods periodically found at Three Square include:

Actual donations of food items always are very welcome at Soc. of St. Stephen. For example, cereal seldom can be found at Three Square and is not available from NV Food. A box of cereal can be purchased for ninety-nine cents. Other items to enhance cans of meat and create a meal (e.g. Tuna Helper with a can of tuna) usually must be purchased at area grocery stores.