LAS VEGAS — There are currently more than 5,000 homeless students enrolled in the Clark County School District this year. Many of the kids are trying to graduate despite obstacles in life.This Thanksgiving, a local non-profit is stepping up to make sure the students and their families get to enjoy the holiday.
One-third of the students who attend Desert Rose High School are homeless. The school has a strong philosophy about giving back to the community. Every year, the principal urges her students to put together Thanksgiving baskets for needy families.
“We believe in building character in addition to building academics. It’s important they understand what the community needs and how they can participate,” principal Dr. Sandra Ransel said.
The non-profit Project 150 heard about what the school has been doing and this year it decided to give the kids something in return. Project 150 donated more than 250 Thanksgiving meals to the students and their families.
“Project 150 did us, not just a favor, they did us a gift,” Ransel said.
“I honestly feel benefit more from this than some of the students receiving it,” said Serafin Calvo with Project 150.
The school’s homeless students live in shelters, motels, or move around among family and friends.
“We can count students who are homeless by how many minutes to bag up everything they own, if it’s 20 minutes, they are homeless,” Ransel said.
Luis Rios is a student at Desert Rose. He recently took a friend in who has no place to go and this Thanksgiving he’s sharing his free meal with her and also others in his neighborhood.
“A lot of people don’t have the money to go out and get just basic necessities to get dinners like this. I really appreciate what they are doing for everyone at the school,” he said.
Aside from Desert Rose, Project 150 donated more than 1,000 Thanksgiving meals to 29 other schools this week.
