FEEDING FAMILIES
This month we began two important community initiatives designed to support families and contribute to a hunger free Southern Nevada. In partnership with Three Square Food Bank and West Prep Academy, CORE is organizing monthly drive-thru food distribution events to support not only our own families, but hundreds of community members from throughout the 89106 neighborhood. In our November events we distributed both fresh groceries and shelf-stable products with the help of dedicated volunteers including some of our very own CORE Scholars and Alumni. We are still looking for dedicated volunteers to give us a hand and help out at our December and January events - click the picture at left to sign up now!
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Our second initiative has established CORE as an emergency food provider for the West Prep Community. At the beginning of the month our team gathered to prepare over 100 emergency bundles of shelf-stable food, each designed to provide an entire week of support for families in need. All West Prep and CORE families will have access to sign up to receive this free service at any point during the semester. CORE’s own Social Worker, Celinda Dominguez, has been overseeing this project and says that she hopes it “provides a sense of connection and security, so that when families are running low on something they don’t have to wait for three weeks until the next community event - they can go to West Prep now.” Providing these resources also directly impacts the educational success of Scholars and students. As Celinda notes, “if a Scholar is worried about food on the table, they’re not going to be concentrated in the classroom. So when we can help provide food for the family, that’s one less thing Scholars have to worry about in this pandemic.”
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MEET OUR NEWEST SCHOLARS
In 2015 The Rogers Foundation made a life-changing commitment when it announced that an entire class of third-grade students at Reynaldo Martinez Elementary School would be receiving full college scholarships on behalf of the organization. Today, those third-graders are now starting their Freshman year of high school, and we are thrilled to announce that they are also joining as the newest cohort of CORE Scholars. We recently held our first socially distant meet and greet to connect with these new Scholars and families. Since they are now students at a number of different high schools throughout the Las Vegas Valley, it was a nice opportunity for them to reconnect with one another as well. This event was planned and facilitated by CORE’s newest team member, Kris Burrell, who has joined us to work as a Scholar Advisor dedicated to the Martinez Cohort. We look forward to continuing the investment of the Rogers Foundation and supporting these Scholars on their pathway toward higher education.
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We are thrilled to welcome the Martinez Cohort of Scholars and Families to our CORE Community!
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COREcast IS IN THE NEWS!
Last week our COREcast Scholars Jenifer and Esme went live on the air to talk with More FOX5 about their experience working on our new podcast! Check out their interview on the video link above and add COREcast to your listening queue on Spotify, Stitcher, or Podchaser.
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OUR NEW ALUMNI COORDINATOR
If you’ve ever interacted with Richard Johnson, then you have immediately seen that he is passionate and dedicated when it comes to the mission of CORE. A familiar face who has been with us for more than two years both as a driver and as our official photographer, we are pleased to announce that Richard has been named as our new Alumni Coordinator. Richard’s new position is great news for the nearly 60 CORE alumni who will benefit from his wisdom, experience, and resourcefulness. "From the moment Richard first became involved with CORE, his commitment to supporting and uplifting the Scholars was unwavering and heartfelt," said Shamieka Oliver, CORE Program Coordinator.
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"He was just the perfect match and fit for the role of Alumni Coordinator. He has built relationships with the Scholars and they respect and like him. He can truly help them navigate this new and exciting chapter in their lives. I know he will do an amazing job." A native New Yorker who was born in Brooklyn and raised in the Bronx, Richard has a track record of long-term success in a variety of roles. A proud veteran, Richard served 20 years in the U.S. Air Force before calling Las Vegas home where he then worked for another 17 years with the Southern Nevada Health District. In his new role, Richard will not only stay connected with each of the inaugural CORE alumni individually, but will also aid in keeping them connected with each other. Additionally, Richard shares relevant resources with the alumni to help ensure that each is on the best path towards success in college, work, and life.
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THANK YOU FOR BEING A CORE CHAMPION
Though there are many challenges right now, if we remain dedicated to working together we will continue to succeed as a community. Work hard, be kind, and do good things.
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