Wraparound event helps aid Pahrump’s homeless

On a hot and sultry morning in the Pahrump Valley, the NyE Communities Coalition threw open the doors of its Activities Center for the Community Crisis Intervention Committee, which was hosting an event geared toward helping out some of the valley’s most vulnerable persons, the homeless.

Entitled the Homeless Wraparound, the event took place on Saturday, Aug. 22 from 9 a.m. to noon and included all sorts of free items, such as clothes, shoes and food, as well as information on available resources.

These events, held on a quarterly basis, nearly met their end when the original hosting organization, You Matter Ministries, was unable to continue holding them. However, not about to watch the wraparound events disappear, members of the Community Crisis Intervention Committee stepped in and they are now carrying on with the mission of providing a little relief to the local homeless population.

“It is especially encouraging to see a community come together for an event like the Homeless Wraparound and to make such efforts to reach out to those who are less fortunate or in need of help,” Wendy White, a Community Crisis Intervention Committee member and program manager for the Nevada Outreach Training Organization’s Pahrump Family Resource Center, told the Pahrump Valley Times after the event.

White, who took over for the recently resigned Nicole McComas, said the event was a bit smaller in scale this time around but the wraparound still proved to be a success, providing valuable items, assistance and information to those who needed it.

“While we did not have as many people as previous events, we were able to provide services and assistance to approximately 20 individuals during the event at the NyE Communities Coalition location,” White reported, but the outreach activities didn’t stop there. Following the Homeless Wraparound, there was continued outreach with people heading directly to the places where the homeless are, to distribute food services to the homeless in the community.

Taking part in the Homeless Wraparound on Aug. 22 were a variety of organizations representing an array of missions and purposes. The Nevada Outreach Training Organization and its Family Resource Center were obviously in attendance, as were representatives from the NyE Communities Coalition. Theophilus House Ministries had a vendor booth at the event, as did Nye County Health and Human Services, Nevada Unique Treatment Services, Miracles of Madness and Old Bill’s Shoe Recycling and Exchange. The Rotary Club of the Pahrump Valley and the Salvation Army both pitched in to help make the event a success as well.

“The importance of events like the Homeless Wraparound is to provide a single, consolidated location for those in need of help to come and see what resources are available in the community,” White detailed. “It also provides the community resources an opportunity to learn about other resource organizations and builds bridges between agencies to provide the best solutions possible for consumers.”

The date for the Community Crisis Intervention Committee’s next Homeless Wraparound has not yet been set but White said she expects it to take place sometime in November or December. “We will provide information about the event as soon as the committee determines the date,” she stated, adding, “We can always use donations of time by volunteers on the date as well assistance in preparing things like personal care kits or organizing clothing. Once the date has been determined, interested volunteers can contact the Family Resource Center at 775-751-1118, extension 109.”

White was sure to note her appreciation for those who joined in for the latest wraparound event, concluding, “We are deeply grateful to all of the vendors who participated, as well as the Pahrump Composite Squadron Civil Air Patrol, Faith Fellowship Church and those individual citizens who came out to support the event.”

For more information on the Community Crisis Intervention Committee or the Homeless Wraparound events contact Nevada Outreach at 775-751-1118 or via email at info@nevadaoutreach.org

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com