100 Black Men Las Vegas Expands Reach in 2024 with Sands Cares Support

At the end of 2024, Sands completed four years of partnership with 100 Black Men Las Vegas, a nonprofit organization that aims to improve the quality of life and enhance the educational opportunities for Black youth and their families in Southern Nevada. Programs span mentoring, educational support, health and wellness, economic empowerment and leadership development.

Sands has supported 100 Black Men Las Vegas with annual contributions that underwrite mentorship and other youth programs through the Sands Cares community engagement program.

“With Sands continued support over these past few years, we’ve been able to pursue even bigger goals in 2024 and reach more youth and families in our community,” Gentry Richardson, president and chief executive officer of 100 Black Men Las Vegas, said. “Through all of our initiatives, we are working toward a better future for our community members by surrounding them with resources and skillsets that prepare them for successful, self-sufficient futures.”

One of the programs Sands funds is a free monthly Virtual Youth Cooking Class, which 100 Black Men Las Vegas launched in 2020 as a way to support families during the pandemic. A highlight in the 2024 cooking series was the November session led by award-winning chef, author and motivational speaker Jeff Henderson, founder of the Chef Jeff Project, which empowers future leaders through the spirit of hospitality. The Chef Jeff Project provides mentorship, culinary and leadership training, and networking for career opportunities.

Held on Nov. 19, Chef Jeff’s cooking class focused on how to prepare traditional Thanksgiving dishes including fried chicken, mashed potatoes and English peas. More than 80 youth and family members joined the class, which was the highest number of participants since its launch. Through Sands Cares’ underwriting, 100 Black Men Las Vegas can provide the classes as well as cooking ingredients to enrollees free of charge.

“Sands understands our vision, which is to serve the whole person,” Richardson said. “The virtual cooking series is an important part of that approach because we provide clients with nutritious food, teach youth how to cook healthy meals and facilitate families spending time together. We’ve been able to expand this program to more enrollees thanks to the Sands Cares support.”

Sands also supports the organization’s food distribution services, including its annual Thanksgiving event. On Wednesday, November 27, 100 Black Men Las Vegas served 3,000 free Thanksgiving dinners, including 1,000 meals that were delivered to people’s homes. Meal recipients included seniors, veterans and families in need.

100 Black Men Las Vegas also places a high priority on education. One of its goals for 2024 was to increase its annual scholarship pool from $50,000 to $75,000, which was made possible by the continued support from Sands Cares. Some of the funds were distributed during the 100 Black Men Las Vegas 25^th anniversary gala in June, when the organization awarded five $5,000 scholarships to local students attending Nevada colleges and trade schools.

Finally, Sands Cares funding has always supported Crossroads, the organization’s flagship youth mentoring program, which teaches more than 30 emotional and social skills to middle school and high students in weekly in-person and virtual sessions.

In addition to Crossroads, 100 Black Men Las Vegas continues mentorship outreach after students graduate from high school through the Collegiate 100 Program, which helps college students at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas cultivate leadership skills, engage in community service and make a positive impact on campus. The program is paired with scholarships to further equip young adults to be successful in college.

Sands’ partnership with 100 Black Men Las Vegas aligns with the company’s priorities on community partner advancement, education and assistance to aid underrepresented groups in overcoming barriers. To learn more about Sands Cares and the company’s focus on helping build a diverse and skilled workforce of the future, read Sands’ latest ESG Report: https://www.sands.com/resources/reports/