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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.

Lift Tech: A Broken Door is an Invitation

Oct 7, 2025 | Partner Profile

A chance meeting between Brian Kangas, owner of Lift Tech Garage Door Services. and SOK CEO Laurie Tanakaya opened the door to a unique partnership. Lift Tech has been installing and servicing residential and commercial garage doors and gates throughout the Las Vegas valley since 2014.

“I was looking at a new space for Lift Tech right across the street from the Serving Our Kids offices,” Brian said. “I stopped in and asked Laurie for the landlord’s phone number and we started talking about Serving Our Kids.”

“I had no idea that food insecurity was such a huge problem in the valley,” he continued. “It’s hard to get your mind around. I was shocked by the need. But when she showed me what Serving Our Kids does and how they’re making an impact, I was blown away.”

Brian grew up in a poor family that sometimes relied on food and other assistance from his church. In their 20s, he and his wife struggled with food insecurity at times. So, he understands the importance of community organizations like SOK, especially when it comes to child hunger.

“Kids can’t do anything about it,” he stated. “The adults have to step up and handle it.”

Lift Tech has a history of giving back to the Henderson community they love whenever they can and wherever it can make a real impact. SOK was a perfect match.

“When our warehouse door went off the rails, of course, I called Brian,” Laurie said. “He fixed it right away, but wouldn’t charge us for the repairs. He said he didn’t want to divert any funds from feeding our kids.”

“We wish we could do more,” Brian said. “We love their mission and their perseverance over the years is amazing. And their volunteers are incredible. Our 15-year-old daughter is a volunteer.

“We’re putting up a banner in our shop for customers to see,” he added. “It’ll have a QR code so they can donate or sign up to volunteer on the spot. And we’re giving a portion of every Lift Tech sale to Serving Our Kids.”

Lift Tech is also providing golf towels for all participants at our 14th Annual Golf Tournament fundraiser in November.

“We will help in any way we can,” Brian said. “Hopefully in a bigger way in years to come.”

SOK partners come in all shapes and sizes from large corporations to small, family-owned businesses like Lift Tech. They all have one thing in common: A big heart that’s in the right place.

BRAND: Our Fearless, Authentic, Marketing Team

Oct 7, 2025 | Partner Profile

BRAND, a full-service branding, marketing and communications firm, celebrates their 25th Anniversary in 2025. They develop national brands in emerging industries and have worked with some of the city’s most prestigious hospitality brands. They also serve clients in the commercial real estate development, consumer packaged goods, spirits, medical and wealth consulting industries.

Each year, the Henderson, Nevada, Chamber of Commerce Foundation sponsors Leadership Henderson, an intensive, nine-month program dedicated to educating and empowering effective community leaders. The Leadership Henderson Class of 2024 selected SOK as its community service project.

Class member Virginia Martino, BRAND’s Founder and CEO, volunteered her team to help develop and execute a comprehensive, five-year marketing plan, which included integrated advertising and PR campaigns designed to explode community awareness of SOK’s mission, significantly increase participation and donations from individuals and businesses, and secure SOK’s long-term financial stability.

BRAND created the “We’re Feeding Their Dreams” campaign and our new website, which includes a seamless, efficient way for people to donate and volunteer. They have promoted our fundraising events and helped make them more successful than ever.

BRAND helped develop and implement effective public relations and advertising campaigns. And they have created invaluable partnerships with KSNV/News 3 and other local media companies that continue to exponentially increased awareness of our brand, mission, objectives, needs, fundraising events, partnerships and accomplishments throughout Southern Nevada.

Together, these efforts have attracted new donors and committed corporate partners, and generated significant new revenue to support, improve and expand our operations.

SOK Wins Three Square’s Partner Award

SOK Wins Three Square’s Partner Award

Oct 7, 2025 | Partnerships

Serving Our Kids is honored to receive the Partner Award for Best In Childhood Nutrition from Three Square, the largest food bank in Southern Nevada. it partners with a nonprofit and community organizations to collect, store and distribute food to families, children and seniors in need.

“Serving Our Kids earned this award because of its unwavering focus on helping food-insecure children and its ability to consistently deliver weekend meal bags to thousands of elementary and middle school students every week during the school year,” said Tara Nerida, Director of Strategy and Partnerships at Three Square.

Tara also cited our committed, grassroots community support and efficient operations as making “a real and lasting impact in the fight against childhood hunger.”

SOK and Three Square work closely to coordinate operations and share resources to ensure that more children receive the food they need so they can focus on their future, instead of their next meal.

Three Square’s Childhood Programs Manager Aaliyah Goodie believes our partnership will become even more important as families, schools and communities face steep reductions in federal assistance programs.

“There will be less food and funding coming in while more of our neighbors will be seeking help,” Aaliyah said. “Right now, more than 377,000 Southern Nevadans, including one in five children, are already dealing with food insecurity or hunger. Thousands more could be affected in the near future.”

“Serving Our Kids is thankful and grateful for this award and our community partnership with Three Square,” said SOK CEO Laurie Tanakaya. “Together, we will meet these new challenges and win the fight against child hunger across the Las Vegas valley.”

 

What’s Happening at SOK

Oct 7, 2025 | What's New

WHEN DROPPING THE BALL IS A GOOD THING

Final preparations are underway for the 14th Annual Serving Our Kids Golf Tournament, our biggest fundraising event of the year, on Sunday November 2nd at The Legacy Golf Club Las Vegas. And it’s shaping up to be our best tournament ever.

The response has been incredible and we want to thank all of the generous partners, sponsors, fearless foursomes and dedicated duffers who have already pledged their support, including our three Nicklaus Sponsors, Aristocrat Gaming, Ford Country and Greenberg Traurig. Jack would be proud.

But there’s still an opportunity to participate, even if you don’t register to play or can’t attend the event – our Helicopter Ball Drop Fundraiser.

Feeling lucky? Purchase two golf balls for $50. Want to improve your odds? Purchase five balls for $100. There’s no limit to how many you can purchase from now until 7:00 AM on Sunday November 2nd.

Each ball you buy has a number assigned only to you. Just before the shotgun start, our friends at Sundance Helicopters will drop all of the balls on the 18th green.

  • If one of your balls is first in the hole or closest to the hole, you’ll win $1,000 in cash.
  • Second closest wins a Staycation at the iconic Plaza Hotel and Casino valued at $750. This includes dinner for two at Oscar’s Steakhouse and a Wine Duo.
  • Third closest wins a two-night stay at MGM Grand valued at $500.

Winners will be announced at the tournament luncheon, but you don’t have to be present to win. We’ll contact all winners within five days after the event.

So, get in the game! It’s more exciting than sinking a 40-foot putt for eagle. OK, maybe not. But it is a lot of fun.

Click Here and Buy Your Gold Balls, Today!

NV ENERGY ELECTRIFIES SOK

A few months ago, the NV Energy Foundation awarded SOK a $75,000 grant. The vast majority of these funds were dedicated to purchasing the nutritious, easy-to-eat foods we pack in our weekend meal bags. Needless to say, we were truly grateful.

But the foundation also challenged the NV Energy employee volunteers to break the SOK meal-bagging record. And in two events at two different locations, 220 amazing NV Energy volunteers created more than 15,000 weekend meal bags for 15,000 elementary and middle school kids who leave school on Friday not knowing if they’ll eat again until Monday. A stunning accomplishment.

“75,000 thank yous are simply not enough,” said Laurie Tanakaya, CEO of Serving Our Kids. “So, we’ll add 15,000 more on behalf on the food-insecure children they’ve helped us feed.”

HELMS HELPS DOUBLES DONATIONS!

The Helms Helps Foundation pledged to double all first-time donations (up to $20,000!) we received during September. This challenged us to do more to reach people who might not know about SOK, our mission and how food-insecurity afflicts thousands of kids in their community.

We are thrilled to announce that we met the challenge by raising $20,000 from new SOK donors. So, Helms Helps is matching that with its own $20,000 gift for a grand total of $40,000 in new funds.

A huge thank you to Terry Helms and everyone at Helms Helps Foundation for your incredible generosity.

FOOD DRIVE HIGH FIVES

Mega kudos to everyone who participated in the Bay Law Help Feed Their Dreams Food Drive. Concerned people like you donated more than 6,000 food items that go into our weekend meal bags, including the pillow bag Ramen noodles, fruit strips and squeezable apple sauce kids love.

Once again, SOK Champions Bay Law Injury Attorneys and News 3 Las Vegas did the heavy lifting. News 3 promoted the drive to viewers throughout Southern Nevada and the Bay Law team collected food donations at their offices in Henderson and topped it off by creating 4,000 weekend meal bags.

We also want to give a special shout-out to Don Tortaco Mexican Grill whose team promoted the drive to customers and collected food items at eight of their Las Vegas valley locations. Welcome to the fight against child hunger!

GOETTL GIVES BACK

Goettl might be hard to spell, but it’s easy to love. In September, the well-known air conditioning and plumbing company selected SOK to receive a $1,000 donation through its Kindness In The Air program.

Goettl Las Vegas Fleet Coordinator Dallin Kvist nominated us for the gift. A big thank you to Goettl and Dallin for your kindness and concern for the thousands of food-insecure children in Southern Nevada.

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