It’s too easy living and working in Summerlin to ignore, or worse, not be aware, that one in eight neighbors across our Valley goes hungry daily. That’s nearly 300,000 of us. Of those, more than a third are children. That’s one of every six. The good news is that those numbers are improving. Our foundation hopes that one of the reasons for this improvement is our $20,000 annual investment in a monthly pop-up food market in the parking lot of Cimarron High School.
Every third Saturday, our members join other community volunteers to unpack and distribute thousands of pounds of food, always including fresh vegetables, fruit, and protein from chicken and fish to holiday turkeys. Each month, more than 200 cars and trucks are filled with groceries that would easily cost $200 in a supermarket, especially in this era of hyperinflation.
In fall 2024, a second $20,000 check was presented to The Just One Project, that collects and distributes the food at the monthly pop-ups. The foundation is well on the way of raising another $20,000 for a third year.
“We are gratified by the support we are receiving from our donor community,” says foundation board president Glenn Ritt. “This is our highest priority, feeding our food-insecure neighbors, and we will be working hard to not only raise funds from private donors and corporate partners but educating our neighbors who are blessed with full tables.”
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food insecurity as limited or uncertain access to enough food to live an active, healthy life. “While recent data shows a downward trend in food insecurity, it doesn’t change the fact that too many of our neighbors are still uncertain about where their next meal is coming from,” said Beth Martino, president and CEO of Three Square Food Bank. “We must prepare for newer threats, including rising inflation, changes to SNAP benefits, a housing crisis, and supply chain disruptions.”
Other facts that motivate our foundation:
Food insecure residents miss approximately 48 million meals a year, or about 177
missing meals per person.
Food insecure individuals miss an average of 8 meals per week.
The average weekly food budget shortfall is $20.32 per person across Three Square’s
service area. For a family of four, this equates to about $4,227 annually.
We invite you to contribute to our pop-up markets and join us every third Saturday at Cimmaron High School to help distribute groceries. Contact: glennritt@gmail.com
