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Measurable Impact on Students

Measurable Impact on Students

Jan 5, 2026 | Community Support

Academic Performance: Hunger-Free Kids Learn Better

As food insecurity continues to affect families across Southern Nevada, Serving Our Kids Foundation remains focused on a simple but powerful goal: ensuring that food-insecure children can dream of the future instead of dreaming about food. Recent feedback and data from our partner elementary and middle schools in the Las Vegas Valley show that this work is making a real, measurable difference in students’ lives.

Below is a summary of key findings from our March 2024, December 2024, and December 2025 data collections, along with what these numbers mean for local children and their families.

Strong and Growing Participation

  • Mar 2024: 61% participation
  • Dec 2024: 88% participation
  • Dec 2025: 90.8% participation

Participation represents the percentage of eligible children who are regularly receiving our weekend food bags. The growth from 61% to nearly 91% demonstrates two important trends:

  1. Rising trust and awareness – More families and school staff recognize the value of the program, and more children are consistently accessing the food they need over the weekend.
  2. Better reach to those most in need – High participation suggests that barriers such as stigma, communication, or access are being effectively reduced.

This steady increase confirms that our program is not only needed, but increasingly relied upon as a critical support for students.

The Ripple Effect: Food Shared with the Entire Family

Children sharing with other family members:

  • Mar 2024: 58%
  • Dec 2024: 52%
  • Dec 2025: 46%

More than 4 in 10 participating students still report sharing their food with parents, siblings, or other family members. While our primary focus is the child, this data underscores an important reality:
For many households, the food we provide helps stabilize the entire family’s weekend nutrition.

The slight decrease over time may indicate that, as our program and other community supports expand, families are relying a bit less on a child’s food bag to help the whole household—allowing more of the contents to directly benefit the student. Even so, the continued sharing:

  • Stretches limited household food budgets,
  • Reduces stress at home,
  • Helps create a more stable environment for children to learn and grow.

Health & Wellness: Children Feel Better, Look Better, Thrive Better

Observed improvement in overall health and wellness:

  • Mar 2024: 45.0%
  • Dec 2024: 42.4%
  • Dec 2025: 51.5%

Teachers and school staff are in a unique position to notice changes in student health—energy levels, physical appearance, and general well-being. By December 2025, more than half of participating children were observed to have improved overall health and wellness.

This suggests that:

  • More consistent weekend nutrition is helping reduce hunger-related fatigue, stomach aches, and headaches.
  • Students arrive at school better nourished and more ready to participate.

Improved health is a foundational outcome: when children feel better physically, they are better prepared to attend school, concentrate, and succeed.

School Attendance: Keeping Students Connected to the Classroom

Observed improvement in school attendance:

  • Mar 2024: 40.0%
  • Dec 2024: 45.9%
  • Dec 2025: 41.7%

Hunger is one of the hidden drivers of absenteeism. Children who are not eating regularly may miss school due to illness, fatigue, or family challenges tied to food insecurity.

Across all three data periods, roughly 4 in 10 participating children were observed to have improved attendance. While the December 2025 figure is slightly lower than December 2024, it still reflects a meaningful portion of students whose school participation benefits directly from reliable weekend nutrition.

Every additional day in class:

  • Increases learning opportunities,
  • Strengthens connections with teachers and peers,
  • Supports better long-term academic and social outcomes.

Academic Performance: Hunger-Free Kids Learn Better

Observed improvement in overall academics:

  • Mar 2024: 39.0%
  • Dec 2024: 38.0%
  • Dec 2025: 43.6%

By December 2025, nearly 44% of participating students were reported to show academic improvement. This can include:

  • Better focus in the classroom,
  • Increased participation,
  • More consistent homework completion,
  • Improved grades or test performance.

These results reinforce what educators have long known:
Children cannot fully concentrate on reading, math, and problem-solving when they are worried about their next meal. Providing consistent food support strengthens the whole learner—mind and body—and helps remove one of the biggest barriers to academic success.

Listening to Children: What They Love in Their Food Bags

Top favored items remained remarkably consistent over time:

  • Mar 2024: Ramen, Fruit Snacks, Cereal
  • Dec 2024: Ramen, Fruit Snacks, Cereal
  • Dec 2025: Ramen, Fruit Snacks, Cereal

This consistency tells us several things:

  • Children are more likely to eat what they enjoy, which increases the effectiveness of every bag we pack.
  • Familiar, kid-friendly items provide comfort and a sense of normalcy.
  • By pairing these favorites with other staples, we ensure that children both look forward to and fully utilize the food we provide.

By paying attention to what children actually like and consume, we can design food bags that are not only nutritious but also welcomed and enjoyed.

What This All Means for the Las Vegas Valley

Taken together, this data paints a clear picture:

  • More children are being reached, with participation nearing 91%.
  • Families continue to experience meaningful relief from food insecurity.
  • Children’s health, school connection, and academic performance are all showing positive trends.
  • Our program remains responsive to students’ preferences, increasing both dignity and impact.

Serving Our Kids Foundation is proud to partner with schools, volunteers, donors, and community members across the Las Vegas Valley to create these outcomes. Every weekend food bag represents more than food—it represents stability, hope, and the chance for a child to focus on learning and dreaming big.

To learn more about our work, access additional impact data, or find out how you can help us reach even more children, please visit servingourkids.org.

 

SOK Welcomes New Board Members

SOK Welcomes New Board Members

Jan 1, 2026 | What's New

Serving Our Kids Foundation is pleased to announce the addition of new members to our Board of Directors. These leaders bring a wealth of experience in nonprofit service, business, education, and community engagement—expertise that will help guide our continued growth and strengthen our impact for food-insecure elementary school children across the Las Vegas Valley.

Our new board members share a deep commitment to our mission: ensuring that kids can dream of the future instead of dreaming about food. As they lend their time, talent, and insight to Serving Our Kids Foundation, we look forward to expanding our reach, enhancing our programs, and building even stronger partnerships throughout Southern Nevada. Together, we remain dedicated to creating a future without hunger—and a future without limits—for the children we serve.

Meet Michele Hsu

Michelle Hsu is honored to serve on the Board of Directors for the Serving Our Kids Foundation. She brings nearly 14 years of experience with Caesars Entertainment and currently serves as the Regional Vice President of Marketing Strategy for Las Vegas. Throughout her career, Michelle has held leadership roles in operations, regional and enterprise corporate functions, VIP and casino marketing. She has led teams across multiple markets within the Caesars portfolio, excelling in change management, guest experience innovation, and the development of cohesive marketing strategies that deliver results—especially at Caesars Rewards resorts in Las Vegas.

Michelle’s connection to Serving Our Kids began over five years ago when she was searching for a volunteer opportunity that welcomed young children. The organization was the only one in Las Vegas that allowed kids under 13 to participate—giving her son and his former baseball team a way to give back. It quickly became a meaningful part of her family’s life.

Outside of work and service, Michelle is a proud parent to Richie, a nationally ranked junior golfer, and shares her life with her partner Rich and their two doodles. As a family, they love to travel—favorites include Japan, Sea Island, GA, and Hawaii.

Meet Bruce Alder

A lifelong Henderson resident, Bruce is passionate about creating positive change across southern Nevada. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the College of Southern Nevada and a master’s degree from the University of Alabama. Over the years, he has built his professional career at the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
In his role at the Review-Journal, Bruce helps connect readers with quality local journalism by introducing them to the newspaper’s digital and print products. His work focuses on understanding audience needs, building lasting relationships with subscribers, and ensuring readers stay informed about the stories shaping Nevada.

Outside of work, Bruce is a proud parent of twin daughters who are active in volleyball. He enjoys supporting their activities, spending time with family, and staying engaged with the Henderson community he calls home.

Meet David Edington

David Edington handles a broad range of commercial real estate, development and finance matters across the country related to all types of real estate classes and has significant experience representing clients in acquisitions, dispositions, and all manner of leasing matters. David’s finance practice includes representing borrowers and financial institutions in connection with construction, bridge, and other general secured financings. David has a comprehensive business background, including deep knowledge of common-interest communities and community management, and uses this experience to approach legal issues with a business-oriented perspective and efficiently achieve practical and workable solutions.

David’s experience additionally covers all real estate deals within the energy sector. His deep experience in the renewable energy and sustainability space includes work on solar, wind, and tax equity projects. David concentrates much of his work on advising these renewable energy companies, developers and investors on joint ventures, financings and acquisition and sale of energy projects.

David’s main areas of focus are renewable energy projects, including solar and wind developments; acquisitions and dispositions; ground leasing, retail, industrial, banking and office leasing; real estate finance, including construction, bridge and term loans; loan assumptions and equity transfers; development and self-storage.

David Edington is a Nevada native, and he and his wife are raising their three children in Las Vegas.

Meet Lance Eliason

Born and raised in Las Vegas, Lance has always been passionate about giving back to the community that shaped him. With a background in healthcare partnerships, nonprofit leadership and youth mentorship, he brings both professional expertise and a deep personal commitment to serving vulnerable families in Southern Nevada.

Lance currently serves as the Director of Partnerships at Touro University Nevada, where he helps connect students, educators and medical professionals to opportunities that improve lives and strengthen communities. His career has included roles in hospital systems, organ and tissue donation, and higher education – always with a focus on compassion, access and community impact.

Beyond work, Lance volunteers with local youth sports, faith-based service initiatives and civic committees focused on neighborhood improvement and public service.

Joining the board of Serving Our Kids Foundation is a natural extension of his belief that no child should ever go hungry. Lance is honored to serve and looks forward to supporting SOK’s mission to nourish children not just with food, but with hope.

Meet Jennifer Wilson

Jennifer Wilson has more than 15 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry, helping shape how visitors experience Las Vegas. As Director of Sales & Marketing, Transportation at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), she focuses on connecting visitors to their destinations through innovative mobility solutions, and highlighting the community partners that make Las Vegas truly unique.

A passionate advocate for children and community service, Jennifer has served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for more than six years, supporting the rights and well-being of children in foster care. She is also an active member of Junior League Las Vegas, a women’s leadership and volunteer organization dedicated to creating meaningful change in the community.

In 2024, Jennifer graduated from the Las Vegas Chamber’s Leadership Las Vegas program, a transformative experience that deepened her civic engagement and strengthened her commitment to serving Southern Nevada.

Jennifer is honored to join the board of Serving Our Kids Foundation and supporting food-insecure children throughout Las Vegas. She believes deeply in the power of community and is excited to help further the organization’s mission.

At home, Jennifer is a wife, mom to a joyful three-year-old son, bonus mom to three, and dog mom to two. Life is full – and fulfilling.

Meet Nick Giorgi

Originally from Rockford, IL, Nick has called Las Vegas home for the past 14 years. With a background in the restaurant and hospitality industry, he’s always been passionate about building connections and delivering top-notch service. Now, as a dedicated real estate agent, he brings that same commitment to helping people find their perfect home and invest in their future.

Nick believes life is all about growth, adventure and meaningful connections in his career and beyond. He’s dedicated to giving back and making a positive impact wherever he can. And when Lance is not helping clients or his community, he’s traveling to new destinations, focusing on self-development, or unwinding with a great book by the pool. His loyal sidekick, Lulu, a spirited and lovable Shorkie, keeps his life full of love, joy and energy.

Meet Jane Rosenblum

Jane has 20 years of experience working in the hotel and casino industry and currently serves as the Executive Director for Guest Experience Strategy at MGM Resorts International. She is a proud graduate of the University of Nevada Las Vegas with a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management.

Jane’s passion for giving back to children started while she was working as a volunteer at a local children’s museum and later as a volunteer tutor helping kids learn to read. She first learned about Serving Our Kids after meeting members of the board while participating in Leadership Las Vegas.

Originally from the Bay Area, Jane has made Las Vegas her home for the last 17 years. She enjoys traveling to new places with her fiancé and spending time in her garden.

Angel Award Recognition

Angel Award Recognition

Jan 1, 2026 | Awards

Serving Our Kids was recognized as Nonprofit of the Year (Small), for our dedicated fight against child hunger in Southern Nevada.

We are so grateful for this award and to the Giving Guide, published by Greenspun Media Group, featuring humanitarians, volunteers, cultural advocates, foundations and non-profits that help shape and improve the landscape of our community.

“Thanks to Greenspun Media Group for this wonderful recognition and award ceremony where we were thrilled to celebrate with several of our volunteers,” said SOK CEO Laurie Tanakaya. 

What’s Happening at SOK

What’s Happening at SOK

Jan 1, 2026 | What's New

Help Tackle Hunger in Southern Nevada at our
4th Annual Souper Bowl of Caring Telethon
on February 5, 2026.

This 18-hour telethon is sponsored by
KSNV News 3 and The CW Las Vegas
benefiting Serving Our Kids Foundation

Our goal is to raise $50,000. This will provide food insecure children with a weekend meal bag every week for the rest of the school year!

You can donate by phone or through our donation forms here on our website.

On the day of the event call the Souper Bowl of Caring phone line at:

(702) 657-3222

You don’t have to wait until game day to help. Donate now online through our donation forms here on our website.

Be sure to select “Souper Bowl of Caring” in the designation dropdown so we can make sure your contribution goes towards this event.

Meet New Crusader Rodrigo Ibarra

Oct 7, 2025 | Community Support

We welcome Rodrigo Ibarra, Vice President of Don Tortaco Mexican Grill, to SOK’s crusade to end child hunger in our communities. Rodrigo rallied his employee teams and their customers to support our recent Help Feed Their Dreams Food Drive.

The Don Tortaco story began in a small, isolated village in the mountains of Mexico where Rodrigo’s father, Apolinar, faced the daily challenges of poverty, including the constant threat of hunger.

“My dad was raised in a thatched-roof hut in the middle of nowhere by my grandfather,” Rodrigo recounts. “He had very little education so, he made sure Dad focused on school. But after fifth grade, Dad had to quit and help plant crops to feed the family.”

Apolinar soon began working at local construction sites to earn more money. Still, the family ate only one basic meal a day. And their only “treats” were eating certain insects that had a sweet taste.

“Eventually, Dad left Mexico for Southern California with $200 dollars in his pocket,” Rodrigo continued. “His motto has always been ‘if you don’t work, you don’t eat’ and he worked hard to make sure there was enough food. He collected soda cans. He worked at Denny’s, Jack In The Box and even a Chinese restaurant. He learned to speak Chinese before he learned English. He also learned a lot about the fast-food business.”

Not satisfied with the progress he was making in LA, Apolinar and his wife moved to Las Vegas in the early 90s. He started working double shifts at Roberto’s Taco Shop, now a Don Tortaco competitor.

“There were some tough times when we had trouble making ends meet,” Rodrigo admitted. “We cut expenses and never spent money on luxuries. Sometimes we had no power or no water, but we never went hungry.”

Apolinar became a licensee of the Roberto’s Las Vegas location and helped add nine new valley locations. And after years of saving everything he could, he brought seven of those restaurants – with cash, not loans – and officially opened Don Tortaco Mexican Grill. Today, Don Tortaco is one of the valley’s most recognizable restaurant names, with 26 corporate and franchise stores and more than 100 employees.

“Dad has always donated food to schools, and clothing,” Rodrigo said. “ But we’ve never worked with a non-profit organization until we got to know Serving Our Kids. When we found out how many food-insecure kids live in the valley – I can’t understand how that’s even possible – we knew we had to do more. Don Tortaco owes so much to the people of our community, and we want to give back in a way that makes a real difference.”

Volunteer Spotlight: Carolyn Streva

Oct 7, 2025 | Volunteer Spotlight

Serving Our Kids volunteer supervisor Carolyn Streva knows how it feels to be hungry. Born in the Philippines, Carolyn grew up in poverty and lived with her mother, brother and sister in a modest 10-by-10-foot room with a dirt floor. Food was scarce, and there were days when the family went without eating. Whenever possible, Carolyn would visit a nearby church to ask for food or money.

Every Christmas, her mother would prepare a simple meal of spaghetti with sauce, that brought joy and comfort to her. She remembers vividly, “Even now, the smell of cooking spaghetti makes me feel rich. It reminds me of Christmas.”

Carolyn’s lifelong passion for serving others began at the age of seven, inspired by her mother’s generosity. “She had nothing, but she would give you the shirt off her back,” Carolyn recalls. One year, when the nuns gave her small candy canes, she chose to share them with other neighborhood children in need rather than keeping all of them for herself and her siblings. As a young student, she loved helping others and fundraising, happily selling fruitcakes that few wanted, simply because she enjoyed raising money for a good cause.

While still living in the Philippines, Carolyn was sponsored through the Pearl S. Buck Foundation. “It felt like God was watching over me,” she says. The sponsorship allowed her to attend a private Catholic school, receive dental care, and benefit from much-needed donations. She still treasures a letter from her sponsors, Mr. and Mrs. Mann of the United States, written when she was nine years old. “Their kindness and generosity have stayed with me all my life,” she reflects. “That’s probably why I’ve kept their letter all these years.”

In 1977, Carolyn’s stepfather brought the family to the United States, where they lived in Navy housing. Having access to simple comforts, food on the table and an indoor bathroom left a lasting impression. “Those experiences may be why I never take anything for granted,” she says.

For the past 11 years, Carolyn has been a dedicated volunteer with the Serving Our Kids Foundation. For the last four years, she has served as a Weekend Meal Bagging Supervisor every other Tuesday. She keeps the food bins stocked, maintains a positive atmosphere with music, and ensures the process runs smoothly for all volunteers. Carolyn also trains new volunteers, assists with fundraising events, and continually spreads the word about supporting Serving Our Kids through volunteering and donations.

Outside of her volunteer work, Carolyn is a Realtor with 23 years of experience in the Las Vegas/Henderson area and currently serves as Chair of the Las Vegas REALTORS® Community Outreach Committee. She recommended Serving Our Kids as one of two charities to receive committee support in 2025.

Committee members participate in monthly meal-bagging sessions, and when volunteers bring their children, Carolyn takes the opportunity to teach them how these meals help kids who may not have enough to eat, instilling in them the importance of compassion and service. The LVR Community Outreach Committee has also organized fundraising events, including bowling and golf tournaments, to support the foundation.

Through all of her experiences, Carolyn has remained an optimist. “I never let being poor or hungry define who I am, and I never thought of myself as a victim,” she says. “I can’t give just one reason why I love volunteering. For me, it’s the feeling of giving back. When you make a positive impact on a child’s life, they grow up differently. That’s what keeps me going.”

Join The SOK Volunteer Team!

Our volunteer schedule for January 2026 through May 2026 will be posted on our website on October 23rd. Please click on the link to sign up.

https://servingourkids.org/get-involved/volunteer/

Don’t delay. Volunteer opportunities fill up quickly.

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