BREAK & EMPOWER
(Breaking the Cycle of Homelessness & Empowering those who are served)

Bridging
Resources
Enforcing
Accountability, giving the
Key to independence and empowering those who are served.

LSSN began serving the Las Vegas Community in 1985. Until 1996, the social ministry operated a food pantry and clothing closet. In December 1996, the agency became incorporated and adopted the Lutheran Social Services of Nevada name (LSSN) and earned its 501 (C) (3) status. Seeking to be true to the Gospel's social mandate, LSSN is guided by its Mission Statement: express the love of Christ by serving and caring for people in need.

For the last thirteen years, the agency has initiated and established homelessness prevention and/or alleviation programs in Nevada. Since its inception, the agency has assisted over 135,000 homeless and low-moderate income families by providing social and health services, including intensive and individualized case management to people in need. LSSN currently serves over 15,000 people each year.

Homeless families and families at risk of homelessness experience multiple barriers resulting in episodic or chronic homelessness. The barriers are interrelated and often affect various aspects of families' sustainability. In addition, the current economic crisis has caused a ripple effect in many industries. Due to mass job loss, high foreclosure rates and other factors, many families are in increased need to receive multiple basic and immediate needs services. A comprehensive and holistic vision to address those multiple barriers and build long-term self-support and self-sustainability of families in need is necessary.

Therefore, the primary goal and overall vision of LSSN's client strength-based and empowering programs are to assist families achieve greater self-sufficiency and sustainability. The BREAK & EMPOWER Concept of LSSN bridges, mobilizes multiple community resources, empowers and engages clients in self-growth, self-sufficiency, and navigates families to independence through community support systems.

The agency has the following services currently available to families in need:

• Supermarket style client-choice emergency food pantry where clients are given a shopping cart to select fresh produce and packaged food items for themselves. The food pantry serves over 165,000 pounds of food and 200,000 meals annually.
• Temporary Financial Support through rental and utility assistance for low-income individuals living at/or below the poverty line. The financial assistance is provided in conjunction with case management to over 150 families annually.
• The Career Connections Center provides employment search and retention services to individuals and families. As part of the employment services, LSSN provides birth certificates and state identification documents necessary for obtaining employment in Nevada. Over 6,000 people are provided with employment services annually.
• Family supportive transitional housing services are provided through three apartment homes for homeless families. Intensive supportive services, such as case management, employment, mental health and life skills development, and other services provide a wrap around support system for homeless families to achieve greater self-sufficiency and independence in a 24-month period. 13 homeless families are served and over 30 beds are provided annually.

It is the goal of LSSN to offer competent and comprehensive services that are delivered in a culturally competent manner. These services would be delivered to enable the agency to participate in community capacity building that would focus on residents, other community agencies/organizations, and government entities to reduce and or eliminate the barriers to becoming a healthy community.

To achieve the vision, LSSN will re-position itself and in the next five years become a One-Stop-Shop Community Service Provider with a continuum of care approach and intervention method for addressing multiple needs of families in need. This holistic and comprehensive approach allows the agency to help address food insecurity, supportive housing, employment, health and wellness needs of local communities in Nevada with strong wraparound case management and support systems. By receiving comprehensive multiple social, nutrition, health and wraparound support services, the agency achieves the key values of the BREAK & EMPOWER Project (Break the Cycle of Homelessness) that are the Bridging Resources, Enforcing Accountability, giving the Key to independence and empowering those who are served.

To break the cycle of homelessness and/or prevent homelessness, LSSN suggests a continuum of care approach and intervention method for addressing the multiple immediate needs and barriers of families. The agency strongly believes that the provision of basic and emergency needs together with more intensive individualized and wraparound support systems is a long-term approach towards reducing and/or alleviating the cases of homelessness and improving residential stability thus achieving self-sufficiency and independence.

LSSN's strategic goals and objectives are the Community Nutrition Center, Center of Wellness and Life Skills Development, Employment Services, Community Health Wellness Center, Supportive Housing Services, Temporary Financial Support Resources and Campus of Social and Health Services.