Together, We Can Feed Everyone

Bus rider Sr. Andrea Koverman, SC listens to a presentation at Three Square food bank in Las Vegas, NV.

The Nuns on the Bus & Friends spent an informative and inspiring morning in Las Vegas at Three Square Food Bank, the only food distribution center in southern Nevada. The scope and scale of this operation is incredible, equating a $14.1 million economic impact last year! Staff and volunteers are committed to eliminating the suffering their community experiences around the issue of food scarcity.

Nevada has the second highest unemployment rate in the nation. Beyond the glitz and opulence of the Las Vegas strip, most of the state is comprised of rural communities. Within those, food scarcity is a serious issue that has the greatest impact on the most vulnerable members of society, including children and elders.

Bus riders and NETWORK staff pose for a photo outside of Three Square food bank in Las Vegas, NV.

The folks at Three Square seem to have thought of every need and obstacle to accessing the programs and resources they have so thoughtfully designed. In addition to a huge family distribution program, their Backpack for Kids initiative provides meals for children to take home on the weekends and during summer breaks, making sure meals are available in afterschool programs partnering with other entities like public libraries and Boys and Girls Clubs. As part of their Senior Hunger Program “Golden Groceries,” healthy, supplemental groceries are provided through client-choice pantries and home delivery for those 60 and better. They even provide bus tokens and partner with Lyft to eliminate transportation issues.

Three Square does everything possible to make sure no one in their community goes hungry, but they also have a robust advocacy program — connecting community members and legislators to ensure families in Nevada have the freedom to be healthy and to care for their families. They work for the day when all families have what they need and do not have to rely on programs like Three Square to survive.

This reflection is from the 2024 Nuns on the Bus & Friends bus rider blog.