Message from The Center: Feeling the impact of COVID-19; help and hotlines for the community

Special to Las Vegas Spectrum

All of us at The Center send our best wishes to you and your family in the hope you are well and staying safe. We are continuing to experience an unprecedented time that has both challenged us and afforded us all an opportunity to demonstrate our resiliency and our commitment to serve one another.

It has been gut-wrenching to hear stories of individuals we know and care about who have been personally impacted by COVID-19. We have lost members of the LGBTQ+ community and The Center team has tried to connect with families who have been impacted to show our support. Offering our love and support will be our primary mission for anyone facing a difficult time during the global pandemic.

I am proud of the team at The Center for their innovative solutions in moving all programming and services to the Online Center that was created in partnership with The Charity Gurus. The Online Center has allowed The Center to continue providing groups, events, social engagement and support to the LGBTQ+ community. We hope everyone will visit our website to find programs and services for everyone in our community from youth to seniors. The Center’s website can be found at thecenterlv.org

We are very proud of the Center team in collaboration with the Charity Gurus in setting up a crisis hotline through the Center Advocacy Network (CAN). The hotline is a 24-hour resource being managed by our CAN-certified volunteers to provide crisis support for victims of violence in Nevada and connections to resources. The hotline is funded through our Victims of Crime Act grant. This program was set up in less than two weeks and we have been given a great opportunity to help callers in a time of stress, and in some cases, when people are in serious trouble as victims of violence. The Hotline can be reached at 833-740-0500.

The Center was one of five local nonprofits to help pilot the program, Delivering with Dignity (DwD) in partnership with the United Way of Southern Nevada, Elaine P. Wynn Family Foundation, Elizabeth Blau & Associates, Moonridge Foundation, and Copia food delivery services. DwD provides premade meals for individuals and families who are most at risk for the virus, and who have no financial means or familial support in accessing nutritional meals. Thousands of meals are delivered by volunteers each week and the DwD has an added benefit of helping restaurant staff remain employed, including employees of The Center’s café, The Jolt.

While most of The Center’s team work remotely for their protection, and the protection of our constituents, we do have a small team at our facility who will remain available for individuals calling or stopping by. The building is not open to the public, but patrons can ring the bell and we will respond at the front doors. While we encourage everyone to “Stay Home for Nevada,” we also want to remain available for our neighbors around The Center who are home- and food-insecure. Our harm-reduction efforts also remain available as well, providing individuals with important resources to prevent the transmission of diseases.

Social distancing and isolation go against the very purpose of The Center’s role in the community. We have had to redefine the way we connect with the people we serve, and the way we help the community connect with one another. Throughout the crisis, we will continue developing ideas to cultivate those connections and to serve the urgent needs of our most vulnerable neighbors.

• We welcome the community to reach out to The Center to let us know how we can better serve the needs of individuals and families. Please call us anytime we can help. In the meantime, we will be preparing to reopen The Center as the governor permits. We wish you and your loved ones the very best in your safety, health and well-being.