LAS VEGAS, Nevada—Students and Team Members at Nevada Career Institute (NCI) partnered with local organizations to spread joy during the 2018 holiday season. Their volunteer efforts included hosting a food drive and taking on a Winter Spirit Project with the goal of making a difference for those in need in the Las Vegas community.
“It was wonderful to see our students jump into these service projects with such excitement,” shared NCI’s Campus Director Mary Ann Jefferson. “I am proud of how they truly caught the vision to give back to others and ran with it so well.”
In the weeks leading up to the holidays, NCI hosted a food drive benefitting Three Square, a nonprofit organization that works with more than 1,600 community partners to reach the hungry in Southern Nevada. “We collected a huge amount of food for Three Square!” Jefferson said. “They were so grateful to receive it and it opened our students’ eyes to the needs of those right around them.”
In addition to the food drive, Nevada Career Institute launched the NCI Winter Spirit Project, which mobilized students to make holiday cards for homeless youth in the surrounding areas. NCI partnered with Child Haven, a 90-bed shelter for homeless children in Las Vegas, and St. Jude’s Ranch for Children in Boulder City, a home for abused, neglected, and homeless children that provides therapeutic treatment services to its residents.
NCI Team Members added an extra dose of holiday spirit, dressing as Santa and his elves to deliver the cards to both organizations. It was met with an overwhelmingly positive response. One of the employees at Child Haven shared, “This is perfect! We had lots of toys delivered, but no cards for the kids. These cards from your school will add a personal touch, and make such a difference for the children.”
Scott Beeson, an NCI Instructor who helped spearhead the Winter Spirit Project, said it was a huge success. “It was a great way to share the holiday spirit with our community,” he said. “And it exemplifies what we do here at Nevada Career Institute so well—we promote a true sense of family and maintain a deep commitment to excellence as we train individuals who will continue to make a difference in their communities long after they graduate from NCI.”
Interested in learning more about Nevada Career Institute’s programs? Please contact Nancy Aguillon at NancyA@success.edu for more information today!
