EDITORIAL: As holidays pass, need for charity remains paramount

As the holidays wind down, the season of brotherhood and generosity gives way to the optimism of the New Year’s resolution. But the need for private charity is a year-round concern. Heading into 2026, it’s important that Nevadans not allow the less fortunate to fade into the background.

A recent survey found that Nevada ranks 49th out of 50 states when it comes to the percentage of people who donate their time to charitable causes. Certainly, this isn’t due to a lack of need. According to the Nevada Homeless Alliance, about 8,000 Southern Nevada residents are homeless on any given night. Feeding America estimates that more than 136,000 Nevada children regularly face hunger. Nevada’s elderly population has also increased significantly over the past decade, with a growing number of seniors requiring assistance of some kind.

According to Cause IQ, Nevada has nearly 16,000 nonprofits, many of which are private or religious charitable organizations dedicated to improving the lives of those in need. Most are in dire need of people willing to give their time or treasure. Volunteering not only helps the recipients of such generosity, it instills a feeling of fulfillment and community in those who unselfishly step forward to assist others as they navigate challenging times.

Below is a highly abbreviated list of Southern Nevada charities who do the heavy lifting 365 days a year. Consider giving your time to any one of these worthwhile endeavors, even for just one or two days a month. For a more complete list, visit nevadavolunteers.org or the United Way at uwsn.org/get-involved/volunteer/.

■ Three Square (www.threesquare.org) is a food bank that provides nutrition to local children and families and has several pantries around the Las Vegas Valley.

■ Opportunity Village (www.opportunityvillage.org) serves Las Vegas residents with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

■ Animal Network Rescue (702-582-7534) helps homeless and abandoned animals thrive and find new homes.

■ Helping Hands of Nevada (702-633-7264) works to improve the quality of life for Nevada seniors, offering a food pantry, transportation services for seniors in need and other assistance.

■ Assistance League of Las Vegas helps underprivileged children in the Las Vegas area by, among other things, ensuring that thousands of children a year have supplies and clothes for school.

■ The Bunker Project (thebunkerproject.org) helps U.S. veterans returning from abroad with issues such as housing and counseling and education services.

“The life of a man consists not in seeing visions and in dreaming dreams,” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, “but in active charity and in willing service.” For 2026, more Nevadans should resolve to take those sentiments to heart.