LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — When Ginny Smith arrived in Las Vegas from Louisiana about eight months ago, she says she had nowhere to go.
“I was completely homeless,” Smith said.
Smith says she was also struggling with addiction when outreach workers from the Shine a Light Foundation and Wings Foundation found her at a bus terminal.
Hear Ginny Smith's firsthand account of how these programs changed her life:
“They asked me if I would like some help, and I said yes," Smith said.
Smith credits that moment, and the network of services that followed, with helping her change the direction of her life.
“I’ve been sober ever since,” she said.
Her experience highlights the work being done through a City of Las Vegas outreach initiative that brings together local organizations and existing programs to help people experiencing homelessness access services.
According to city officials, the partnerships have helped 140 people find housing since the initiative launched last year.
Arcelia Parajas, director of Neighborhood Services for the City of Las Vegas, said the city works with regional partners to connect people with a wider range of resources.
“We partner a lot with our regional, jurisdictional partners to make sure that we can provide all of the services that are part of that continuum of care for our homeless individuals,” Parajas said.
The coordinated effort connects existing local programs, including M.O.R.E Teams outreach groups and the Shine a Light Foundation, with people who need help obtaining identification documents, finding housing, accessing services and returning to work.
The goal is to make it easier for people experiencing homelessness to access multiple forms of assistance, including housing, mental health services and job training, through a coordinated network.
While homelessness remains a challenge across the Las Vegas valley, Smith says programs like these can make a lasting difference.
Today, she says her life looks dramatically different.
“My future is a lot brighter,” Smith said. “I have new relationships in my life, a full-time job. I’m going back to school. So, if I can do this at my age, I think anybody can do it.”
The City of Las Vegas and its nonprofit partners say their outreach efforts are aimed not only at helping people find immediate assistance, but also at creating pathways toward longer-term stability.
