Apr 6, 2026 | Volunteer Profile
One of our key initiatives for the 2026/27 school year is to increase the number of weekend meal bags we create and distribute during the school year from 4,500 per week to 6,100. That means we’ll need more volunteer drivers to deliver meal bags to our schools.
If you’re at least 18 years of age and have an extra two hours every other week, please go to servingourkids.org/volunteer and sign up to help. It’s quick, it’s easy, it’s important.
You’ll work with other fabulous folks who share our mission and want to make a meaningful difference in the lives of thousands of food-insecure children in our community. And you’ll have a lot of fun, too.
For more info, drop us a line at info@servingourkids.org or call our office at (702) 685-2626.
Do it today. Do it for our kids.
Thank you!
Mar 31, 2025 | Volunteer Profile
We‘re thrilled to welcome David Archer as the new Executive Director of the Serving Our Kids Foundation. David’s genuine passion for SOK’s mission and his proven executive skills will help us improve our overall operations, fundraising and FUN!
David’s two careers span the non-profit and for-profit. For more than 14 years, he served as President and CEO for several Chambers of Commerce across Southern California. David honed his leadership, networking, fundraising and event production expertise, and brought residents, businesses and government together to strengthen and grow their communities. Prior to that, David was a finance professional with Fortune 500 companies, such as Northrop Corporation and Bank of America.
“When I met Laurie and started learning about how food-insecurity threatens the health and the future of thousands of kids in our community, I knew I had to get involved,” said David. “I’m ready to do what I can to help people understand why Serving Our Kids is essential to fighting this problem and why they should join the fight.”
David is also our Executive Crusader who champions our mission and messages in public and in the media. He inspires people to join our crusade and builds new business and community partnerships that continuously increase our impact on food-insecure kids throughout Southern Nevada.
“Everyone at Serving Our Kids and every child we serve is going to benefit from David’s talent and leadership,” said CEO Laurie Tanakaya. “He has the experience and a track record of success that will help us grow and support children in our community for years to come.”
Jan 3, 2025 | Volunteer Profile
If there was a Mount Rushmore for volunteers, Scott Rice’s face would be chiseled in stone. A Business Systems Analyst with NV Energy, Scott’s workweek is dedicated to developing solutions that improve the efficiency of the utility’s Metering Services and Billing departments. But a big chunk of his free time is dedicated to serving others in his community.
“I’ve been volunteering ever since I was a kid,” Scott recalled. “It was always something I just wanted to do.
“I enlisted in the Navy and traveled the world for 11 years,” he continued. “I got to meet people in developing countries and see how they lived. I saw so many children growing up in the worst conditions. It motivated me to give back my community whenever I could.”
Since then, Scott has donated hundreds of hours to support dozens of community events and charitable causes. He volunteers at his local Irish Club even though he’s officially only one percent Irish. He volunteers as his community’s Easter Bunny. And this confessed “Halloween extremist” even volunteers his home, transforming it into one of Henderson’s most popular haunted houses.
Scott also volunteers with NV Energy. NV Energy, its Foundation and employees contributed more than $5.3 million to support hundreds of nonprofit organizations statewide in 2023. This total is made up of both financial and in-kind donations, including the value of employee volunteer hours and workplace charitable giving.
“NV Energy, its Foundation and employees connect with our community through civic leadership, financial contributions and volunteer service,” said Angel Williams, Director of Community Relations at NV Energy. “Volunteerism is at the heart of what we do and our generous team members like Scott help bring our mission to life throughout Southern Nevada.”
Recently, Scott and his NV Energy co-workers volunteered to pack 10,000 weekend meal bags for Serving Our Kids. SOK’s mission to fight child food insecurity resonates deeply with Scott’s personal commitment to helping children.
“The thought of anyone going hungry, especially a child, is… unthinkable,” he said. “Children need food to develop physically and mentally, and be able to reach their full potential. Adults understand they may have to face hard times, but children shouldn’t have to understand. They shouldn’t have to suffer from hunger.
“Child hunger isn’t just a problem in developing countries,” he added. “It’s a problem right here in our neighborhoods. It’s a problem that may never be solved, but if more people would help, it can get better.
“And it really takes so very little to make a difference,” he said. Just a few dollars means a few more kids can eat this weekend. I can’t afford to donate to every organization that needs help. But I can volunteer my time. That’s how I can help, even in a small way, to make a big difference in somebody’s life.”
