RIPLEY’S BELIEVE IT OR NOT! EMPLOYEES VOLUNTEER AT HELP OF SOUTHERN NEVADA FOR ITS CORPORATE GIVING EVENT
Photo Credit: Amit Dadlaney, Christies Photographic
On Monday, Oct. 7, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! visited HELP of Southern Nevada to volunteer on-site for its 2019 corporate giving event. All 103 of the company’s volunteers were tasked with various projects to benefit four significant programs at HELP of Southern Nevada.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! donated a total of $25,000 to HELP of Southern Nevada, as well as the gift of their time, to benefit the following four programs within the organization: Baby First Services, Framing Hope Warehouse, “Living Beyond” Maternal Group Home and Shannon West Homeless Youth Center.
HELP’s employees excitedly welcomed the volunteers upon arrival while President and CEO of HELP, Fuilala Riley, directed the crowd into four groups. Each group was divided up to aid in four different facets of the non-profit’s services.
Volunteers helped package 30,000 diapers for HELP’s Diaper Bank and its Baby First Services, programs within the Emergency Resource Services Department. These programs assist pregnant and parenting individuals with their newborn children up to three years old.
At Shannon West Homeless Youth Center, 125 welcome bags were assembled for youths entering housing, which included undergarments, sweatpants, hygiene products and more. The welcome bags will provide residents with basic necessities they will use daily. Shannon West Homeless Youth Center provides services for at-risk youth that are homeless or may become homeless.
The Framing Hope Warehouse, a resource for local non-profits that need retail-based merchandise, was cleaned out in order to prepare for the upcoming 98.5 KLUC The Chet Buchanan Show Toy Drive as part of HELP’s Holiday Assistance program.
Finally, the last group was tasked with assembling an assortment of furniture for HELP’s “Living Beyond” Maternal Group Home, for pregnant and/or parenting mothers. A large portion of the monetary donation was allocated to provide new furniture and home accessories for the Maternal Group Home, as well as various items to further improve HELP’s programs and services such as diaper donations, hygiene products and more.
Following the morning festivities, Shannon West Homeless Youth Center residents, volunteers and HELP employees joined together for lunch inside the youth center. The residents were treated to an ice cream bar and received special raffle prizes, courtesy of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! staff.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. Cartoonist and adventurer Robert Ripley started it all in 1918 when he drew the first Ripley’s Believe It or Not! cartoon. Today, Ripley’s has over 100 family-friendly attractions in 10 countries, including Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditoriums, world-renowned Ripley’s Aquariums and traveling shows. In addition to its attractions, they have the popular Ripley’s Believe It or Not! television show and best-selling books. Ripley’s Believe It or Not! tells stories of people and places that are incredibly hard to believe, but undeniably true.
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About HELP of Southern Nevada:
HELP of Southern Nevada operates 10 departments, consists of 150 employees and serves tens of thousands of unduplicated clients each year. The services HELP provides assist low-income families, homeless teens and adults among other individuals, to become more self-sufficient through direct services, trainings and referrals. Programs available include Shannon West Homeless Youth Center, Emergency Resources Services, Framing Hope Warehouse, Weatherization, Work Opportunities Readiness Center, Holiday Assistance, Homeless Services, and Coordinated Entry Community Matchers. For more information, call HELP of Southern Nevada at 702.369.4357 or visit www.helpsonv.org. Follow HELP of Southern Nevada on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About Ripley Entertainment:
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is part of the Ripley Entertainment Inc. family of worldwide attractions, the global leader in location-based entertainment. More than 14 million people visit its 100-plus attractions in 10 countries each year. In addition to its 30 Believe It or Not! Odditoriums, the Orlando, Florida-based company has publishing, licensing and broadcast divisions that oversee projects including the syndicated Ripley’s Believe It or Not! television show, best-selling books, and the popular syndicated cartoon strip, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, that still runs daily in countries around the world. Ripley Entertainment is a Jim Pattison Company, the second-largest privately held company in Canada. Learn more about Ripley’s Believe It or Not! by visiting Ripleys.com and following them on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.