Combined $150,000 donation from tech company helps food bank further develop support programs through food
Three Square Food Bank, Nevada’s food bank in Southern Nevada and The Just One Project, Nevada’s largest mobile food pantry based in Southern Nevada, are expanding their food insecurity programs with the help of a combined $150,000 donation from Google.
Every day hundreds of thousands of people come to Google to search for information on food assistance. Between Thanksgiving and New Year, searches for food banks and pantries spike on Google. In fact, for more than a decade, search interest on Google for “food bank” and “food pantry” queries spikes by 30-50% every November.
Three Square and The Just One Project cater to individuals, families, children, elderly, and veterans who do not have access to quality and nutritious food. Three Square’s Food Rescue and Distribution program—sourcing food from grocery stores—helps alleviate not only food insecurity but also food waste. In fiscal year 2021, they rescued more than 13.75 million pounds of food from retail locations.
“It’s amazing to see the lives these organizations have impacted here in Southern Nevada,” said Kate Franko, Google’s Regional Head of Public Affairs. “With so much food going to waste every year, we are proud to support Three Square and The Just One project, – organizations that are bringing food that would otherwise go to waste to those who need it the most.”
“One in six Southern Nevadans struggle with hunger, that’s nearly 364,000 people in our community who don’t know where their next meal is coming from, including more than 131,000 children,” said Three Square President and CEO Brian Burton. “Google’s generous support will allow us to continue working alongside partners like The Just One Project in pursuit of a hunger-free community.”
The Just One Project has a variety of programs to lower food insecurity in Southern Nevada, including Pop Up & Give, a Mobile Food Market that provides groceries in neighborhoods with high food insecurity rates. The Just One Project is primarily known for its Food For All Program, which focuses on removing the barriers preventing residents of Southern Nevada from accessing fresh and nutritious groceries.
“We know that it’s hard for families to reach out for help and access services,” said Brooke Neubauer, Founder and CEO of The Just One Project. “Client experience is so important to us. We think about how our clients feel before they meet us, and we want them to feel well supported by our programs, knowing this is a safe space.”
Google’s donation will be used to expand Three Square’s childhood nutrition programs and bolster food distributions organized through The Just One Project. This will enable each organization to provide even more food—one of life’s most basic essentials—to families and individuals throughout Southern Nevada.
About Google in Nevada
In July 2019, Google broke ground on its first $600 million data center in Henderson, Nevada, with a second $600 million expansion following in 2020. In 2020 Google also announced a new $600 million investment in Storey County, bringing its total investment in Nevada to $1.8 billion. Once fully operational, all sites will employ people in a variety of fields including computer technicians, engineers, and various service, maintenance, and security roles.
About Three Square
Three Square is Southern Nevada’s only food bank and largest hunger relief organization, serving Las Vegas and all of Clark, Lincoln, Esmeralda and Nye counties. Since opening in 2007, Three Square has provided more than 444 million pounds of food to hundreds of thousands of people in need and earned a reputation as one of the most efficient and effective food banks in the country. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Three Square immediately implemented a disaster response plan to answer sudden school and business closures, drastic declines in retail food donations, social distancing limitations on volunteer efforts, reduced on-site staff support, and the need for low-contact food distributions. Within days, Three Square had increased food distribution by 250,000 meals a week and increased the capacity of its Call Center to refer Southern Nevadans to available food resources, social services, and unemployment benefits. A member of the Feeding America network of food banks, Three Square remains committed to its mission of providing wholesome food to hungry people, while passionately pursuing a hunger-free community. If you or someone you know needs food assistance, or wants to learn more about Three Square’s vision of a community where no one is hungry, please connect at threesquare.org.
About The Just One Project
The Just One Project is a local, grassroots nonprofit organization that creates volunteer magic by bringing together hundreds of volunteers and community partners for hands-on opportunities to meet the needs of those they serve. The Just One Project is Nevada’s largest mobile food market, combating food insecurity through their Food For All program.
Food For All is The Just One Project’s largest program combining monthly Pop Up & Give Mobile Markets, a Drive-Through Market, Grocery and Meal Delivery Programs, and a new no cost Community Market with wraparound services to help individuals, seniors, and families on a deeper level. Altogether these programs allow us to serve nutritious groceries to over 300,000 clients annually with dignity and respect. The average monthly impact of The Just One Project’s Food For All programs include:
- 25,000+ individuals served
- 56% served are children
- 750+ volunteers
- 600,000+ lbs of food
- 30+ Pop Up & Give Mobile Markets
Our Youth Programs connect our youth to the community through civic engagement, leadership, healthy self development with a licensed clinical psychologist, career and education development, and personal finance skills. Our future young leaders are empowered to reach their full potential at our Leadership Academy or at Camp Just One during the summer.
The Smile Project is a volunteer driven program that brings smiles to kids in pediatric wards at Southern Nevada hospitals. Friendly, costumed characters visit and interact with the children, offering them a break from their medical realities, while at the same time deeply impacting the parents.
Our Community Connect project focuses on providing individualized wraparound services for clients with specific needs. Our licensed case managers assist with everything from housing needs to educational opportunities, all free of charge.
Our mission is to keep the community connected by inspiring people to get involved, give back, and make a difference. We mobilize volunteers to build stronger and healthier communities. If you or someone you know would like to learn more about how we can serve you, or if you would like to know how you can be the Just One, please visit thejustoneproject.org.
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