$600k spent on housing, utility aid in Nye County — how federal rescue funds are trickling down

Last year, the Nevada Outreach Training Organization was the recipient of a sizable chunk of Nye County’s American Rescue Plan grant dollars and just over six months into its own programming, the nonprofit has already managed to distribute more than half of the available funding.

Sitting down with the Pahrump Valley Times this month was Nevada Outreach Executive Director Kathie McKenna. She was aiming to not only update the community on how those ARPA funds have been spent but to also encourage anyone in need of help to reach out the organization, which has a plethora of programs that can benefit struggling residents.

“When I realized that we would have to spend all of the $1,182,291 in ARPA money that we were awarded by Nye County, I thought, there is no way we’re going to be able to do that, because the funds can only be used for three specific things, rent, utilities and mortgage,” McKenna said. “But as of June 26, we’ve already expended a total of $647,000 of what has been allocated strictly for direct client services.”

Of Nevada Outreach’s $1.18 million grant, a total of $1,011,840 had been earmarked for rent, mortgage and utility assistance, with the bulk of the remaining funding used to hire three additional staff members.

“I would have never guessed that we’d spend $100,000 per month on average since we were awarded the grant,” McKenna remarked. “But if you were to go over to the office for an hour and watch the amount of people we have coming through the door, it’s almost daunting. Just in the last quarter, we did $352,000. And that really shows the need in our community.”

Nevada Outreach is about much more than just getting people caught up on their major household bills, however, with various other grants used to fund all kinds of assistance programs.

McKenna emphasized that organization maintains something of a “teach a man to fish” mentality and every client completes an intake process so that staffers can truly understand their situation in life.

“When we talk to a client, we look at the client in the whole. For example, someone might come in and need a new refrigerator. So we sit down and as we’re talking to them, we find out that their rent is three months behind and their electricity is about to be shut off, but for them, the need that is most urgent right now is that refrigerator. Now, if we were to just help them with the fridge and have them walk away, have I helped that person at all? No. We’ve just stuck a bandaid on a broken arm,” McKenna said.

“Our goal is to get people to a point where they are sustainable, not just for a month but for years to come,” she continued. “We help them get jobs, we help them get Social Security or disability, we help them get their birth certificates and Social Security cards, we help get them on welfare and SNAP, we do whatever it takes to help get our clients stable and on solid footing. We want them to be whole and to be able to move forward.”

Clients are often given a contract of sorts, McKenna said, outlining what Nevada Outreach wants to see the client do, such as take a budgeting class or heading to the NyE Communities Coalition for its Workforce Development programs. “Then we can see that progress, that we are working toward that sustainability,” she remarked.

McKenna also stressed that it is much easier for all involved if residents come to Nevada Outreach before their situation becomes mission-critical.

“We’d much prefer to see people before they get behind. Come to us before that happens,” McKenna said. “Don’t wait until the last minute. If you know you’re going to have a problem, if you know you’re going to struggle paying your electric bill, don’t wait ‘til they put the notice on your door saying they’re going to shut your power off. Don’t wait til you’ve been given an eviction notice. Come in as soon as you know you are struggling so you don’t have to get to that point.”

Also, Pahrump is far from the only community in which Nevada Outreach can help. McKenna noted that the organization has an office in Tonopah as well as Pahrump and that residents of all Nye County communities can be served.

“If a client come into our office, we are going to do whatever we can to help them,” she concluded. “People can come by 621 S. Blagg in Pahrump or 1120 Globe Mallow Lane in Tonopah, or give us a call at 775-751-1118, extension 109, which is the Family Resource Center department, and they’ll probably need to leave a message because it is very busy right now, but we will return phone calls to set up appointments for people to come in.”

For more on the organization visit www.NevadaOutreach.org

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com