Date: Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Before they called Las Vegas home, Evan and Layla Green often visited as tourists and delighted in dining at fine restaurants the Las Vegas Valley offered. As residents, they learned that beyond the dazzling lights of The Strip there were children who didn't know when they would receive their next meal.
Evan and Layla were driven to find a way to be part of the solution to childhood hunger; LVIP Dining was the answer. Evan shares with us the concept of LVIP Dining and why he and his wife are helping us fight childhood hunger.
Tell us more about LVIP Dining.
LVIP Dining is a charitable dining club that my wife, Layla, and I founded together.Our mission is to end childhood hunger in Southern Nevada. We employ an "Ending Hunger with Hunger" social cause model. This model leverages the popular activity of dining out to solve the social issue of childhood hunger. We partner with restaurants throughout the Las Vegas Valley. Each of our partner restaurants offers our members some kind of dining deal. Discounts include savings of up to 20% off your meal. Other dining deals include complimentary appetizers, desserts or beverages. LVIP Dining offers different membership levels that provide up to 40 meals per month to local area children.
What is the inspiration behind your dining club?
Kids are the inspiration. Kids are the future of any community. And many kids, to no fault of their own, are born into unfortunate circumstances. We have a soft spot for supporting disadvantaged kids because they have no way to provide for themselves.It's easy to take for granted the basic needs in life when you already have them.Yet many Southern Nevada children don't know when they might eat their next meal. Three Square's ability to source and distribute more than 47 million pounds of food is incredible.When you're a hungry child, it's the next meal that's incredible.
How did you discover Three Square Food Bank?
My wife and I moved to Las Vegas in September 2012.During our first year, we noticed Three Square billboards around town. At that time we didn't know much about childhood hunger in the United States. We assumed that hunger, for the most part, was an issue for underdeveloped countries. So we called Three Square. We asked if we could come over, learn more about hunger in Southern Nevada and tour their facilities. When we met the Three Square staff and saw first hand what they were up to, we knew we wanted to be part of the solution.
How long has LVIP Dining been a partner of Three Square?
We launched LVIP Dining in March of 2014. Three Square gives us the means to deliver on our promise to feed hungry kids each month.
How are restaurants that LVIP Dining partners with selected?
For us the more restaurants the merrier! We say that because the more restaurants we partner with the more hungry kids we can feed. We have restaurants all over the Valley.And, our partner restaurants specialize in many different cuisine types. A few of our partner restaurants include Buca di Beppo, FireFly, ChiAm, VegeNation, Bandito, Carmine's, Zaba's, HEXX, Chayo, Chicago Joe's and El Dorado Cantina. A complete list is available on our website.
What does a hunger-free community look like to you?
We all know that the sun will come up each day.A hunger-free community is when we all know that our neighbors will be eating three nutritious meals daily. Some community members may need ongoing food assistance for the rest of their lives. Others may only need temporary help to get through a challenging period. Either way, for a community to be hunger-free, it requires a rock star food bank like Three Square. A hunger-free community needs the logistical means to acquire, store, prepare and distribute food to the hungry. Southern Nevada is lucky to have Three Square to do that.
Why do you and Layla support the fight to end hunger?
We have been fortunate in our lives. Instead of taking that for granted, we pay it forward. Before to moving to Las Vegas we mostly supported children's education. We now have a whole new understanding and appreciation for the issue of hunger. Proper nutrition is foundational to a child's physical, cognitive and emotional development. Without proper nutrition, how can a child realize their full potential?
For our readers who are interested in joining LVIP Dining, where should they sign up? You can learn more about LVIP Dining and sign up for your membership at LVIPdining.com. Also, feel free to call us at 702 757-6600.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
If you're reading this, you're likely the kind of person who loves making a difference for others. Thank you for being that kind of person! We've learned another powerful way to make a difference is to introduce others to the joy of giving back. Inviting friends and family to volunteer at Three Square is a great way of doing that.