As Southern Nevada marks Hunger Action Month this September, recent local reporting shows that food insecurity remains a significant challenge across the region. Nearly 400,000 Southern Nevadans are currently experiencing food insecurity, according to Three Square Food Bank. At The Just One Project, our role is to create multiple ways for people to access food while also providing connections to resources that may help when a household is facing challenges beyond groceries. Our programs reflect a basic reality of this work: people experience barriers to food access differently, so the response cannot rely on a single model.
September is Hunger Action Month, a time when communities across the country bring greater attention to hunger and food insecurity.
Here in Southern Nevada, that conversation is especially relevant.
On September 11, Three Square Food Bank President and CEO Beth Martino reported that nearly 400,000 people across Southern Nevada—including children, families, and seniors—are experiencing food insecurity.
That number provides important context for organizations working throughout the region. But understanding food insecurity requires looking beyond the size of the need.
People can have difficulty accessing enough food for many different reasons. Household finances matter, but so do transportation, mobility, proximity to food resources, and changing personal circumstances.
At The Just One Project, we do not assume that everyone who needs food assistance faces the same barrier. That is why Food For All includes several different ways to access food across Southern Nevada.
Food Access Is Not One Problem
The simplest definition of food insecurity is not having consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life.
The circumstances behind it can be much more complicated.
For one household, rising expenses may leave less money available for groceries. Someone else may have difficulty reaching a grocery store or food distribution. An older adult or homebound individual may need food brought directly to them. A family experiencing an unexpected loss of income may find themselves seeking food assistance for the first time.
Recent Southern Nevada initiatives reflect some of those different needs.
In July, Three Square launched Farm Fresh after identifying fresh produce as one of the most requested but least accessible foods among households experiencing food insecurity. The program began with produce distributions at 12 locations throughout the Las Vegas Valley.
The development is another reminder that food assistance is not solely about having enough food in the regional system. The type of food available and a person’s ability to reach it also matter.
Different Barriers Require Different Ways to Reach Food
TJOP’s Food For All programs have developed around this same principle.
Our No-Cost Community Markets provide groceries through scheduled appointments. Pop Up & Give Mobile Markets bring fresh groceries into Southern Nevada neighborhoods through designated community locations. Food is Medicine Farmers Markets create access to fresh, nutritious food along with nutrition and wellness resources.
Other programs address different circumstances.
Home Delivery brings groceries to clients who cannot readily access an in-person market. Meals on Wheels provides prepared meals to eligible seniors. Food Rescue Alliance recovers wholesome surplus food from hospitality and other partners and redirects it into the community.
No single one of these programs is intended to solve food insecurity on its own.
Together, they create different entry points based on how people are able to access food.
That distinction is important as Southern Nevada continues to confront a substantial level of food insecurity.
Federal Food Assistance Has Also Been Changing
The food-assistance environment in Nevada has changed during 2026.
Federal work requirements affecting certain Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients were reinstated in Nevada beginning in December 2025. In February, the Nevada Division of Social Services reported that approximately 44,700 SNAP recipients had been notified that they could lose eligibility for not meeting the requirements.
Ongoing litigation subsequently resulted in benefits being restored for approximately 43,000 people in March, with the waiver extended through April 30.
These changes have created a complicated policy environment, and SNAP eligibility depends on individual circumstances.
For TJOP, the important point is not to speculate about how those policy changes will ultimately affect demand for our programs. We do not currently have published TJOP data establishing that relationship.
What we can say is that public benefits remain one part of the broader network of resources available to Southern Nevada households, and helping people understand the resources for which they may qualify is relevant to household stability.
Food Assistance Can Be the First Resource Someone Needs
TJOP’s work is built around two complementary initiatives: Food For All and Community Connect.
Food For All addresses food access.
Community Connect provides individualized support and connections to additional resources when a client’s circumstances extend beyond food.
That distinction matters because needing groceries does not automatically mean someone needs case management or social services. We do not make that assumption.
But when a client is also dealing with housing, employment, public benefits, or another barrier affecting household stability, additional support may be appropriate.
Our 2026 Mid-Year Impact Report shows the scale of both sides of that work. During the first six months of the year, our No-Cost Community Markets distributed more than 2 million pounds of groceries. Pop Up & Give distributed another 679,084 pounds. Home Delivery provided 472,944 pounds of groceries to homebound individuals, while 124,867 prepared meals were delivered to seniors.
During the same period, 1,294 households received individualized, client-centered case management through Community Connect.
These figures do not tell us why food insecurity is changing across Southern Nevada. They show the scale and range of services TJOP was already providing during the first half of 2026.
What Is Available at TJOP Right Now
September’s TJOP calendar also illustrates how food assistance and other community resources can exist alongside one another.
Community Support Services are currently available by appointment three days each week and include guidance related to public benefits such as Medicaid and TANF, employment readiness, vocational training, and other resources.
September programming also includes employment soft-skills training, financial literacy classes, Nevada Legal Services, and mobile primary care provided onsite by HOPE Christian Health Center.
These services should not be interpreted as evidence that every person seeking food assistance needs these resources.
They are additional access points for people whose circumstances call for them.
Food assistance remains food assistance. Other services become relevant when a client identifies another need.
Responding to What We Know
There is reason to pay close attention to food insecurity in Southern Nevada right now.
The latest local reporting indicates that nearly 400,000 people in the region are experiencing it. Fresh produce access remains a documented concern. Nevada’s public-benefit environment has undergone significant changes during 2026. Food organizations throughout the valley continue operating distributions, pantries, mobile programs, and other forms of assistance.
What we should not do is assume that every statistic tells us exactly what an individual household needs.
At TJOP, our responsibility is more practical.
We create multiple ways to access food. We provide additional resources when they are appropriate. We work with community partners that extend what is available. And we continue paying attention to what the people using our programs tell us.
Hunger Action Month gives Southern Nevada an opportunity to focus on food insecurity during September.
The work itself requires listening and responding throughout the year.
Finding Food Assistance in Southern Nevada
The Just One Project offers multiple food assistance programs, including No-Cost Community Markets, Pop Up & Give Mobile Markets, Food is Medicine Farmers Markets, home delivery, Meals on Wheels, senior nutrition programs, food rescue, and emergency food assistance.
Program availability, schedules, and eligibility vary. Visit our Food For All resources or contact The Just One Project for current information about available assistance.
