Las Vegas, NV - Building Civic Relationships and Expanding JustServe

Challenge 
Establish a relationship with the City of Las Vegas, NV so that JustServe could become a trusted resource and platform for posting community volunteer opportunities.

Solution 
A JustServe specialist had been receiving the monthly email newsletter from her city ward councilwoman. Early in 2024, the newsletter announced an upcoming event at a nearby state park focused on pets. Knowing that multiple JustServe projects involved animal welfare, the specialist saw an opportunity to showcase these volunteer opportunities and the organizations that supported pets. She contacted the councilwoman’s office to request participation in the event. Since that time, she has continued to receive invitations to participate in other city events.

The coordinating council where this specialist serves later invited the same councilwoman to speak at one of their training meetings. During the meeting, the councilwoman shared ideas for how members of the communication council could become more involved in the community. One suggestion was to attend her monthly neighborhood meetings, held at her satellite office in the local YMCA. The JustServe specialist attended the next meeting and was invited to share information about JustServe with community members in attendance.

Following that meeting, the specialist scheduled a one-on-one appointment with the councilwoman to discuss JustServe in greater detail. The councilwoman expressed enthusiasm and offered several ideas for increasing community awareness of JustServe. These ideas were shared with other Las Vegas coordinating council specialists, who worked together to address and implement them. One outcome of these discussions was the creation of a Las Vegas–specific JustServe trifold brochure.

Other stake JustServe specialists also began attending the councilwoman’s monthly meetings, further strengthening relationships. These efforts led to city partnerships with JustServe on key service events, including the 9/11 Day of Service, Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, and Global Youth Service Day.

Results

• The councilwoman proposed that February 5, 2025, be designated JustServe Day in the City of Las Vegas. A proclamation was read and presented during a Las Vegas City Council meeting and later used to nominate Las Vegas as an official JustServe City.
• The councilwoman began posting projects directly to JustServe. Another city councilwoman has since joined the effort, with one of her staff members receiving administrative privileges to manage postings.
• This relationship has significantly increased community awareness and use of JustServe. The councilwoman now features JustServe in her email communications, keeps brochures available in her YMCA office, and provides continued opportunities for JustServe display tables at city events. She also publicly praised JustServe at a recent community forum on service.
• The councilwoman now regularly reaches out to stake JustServe specialists in her jurisdiction to collaborate on volunteer events.

The success in Las Vegas shows how empowering the right champion can spark a ripple effect across an entire city. By engaging and equipping a councilwoman who believed in the power of service, the JustServe specialist helped turn individual outreach into citywide collaboration and lasting community impact.