Las Vegas Sands Corp., Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth Announce Exclusive Private Screening of Youth Homelessness Documentary at Summit 17 on Nov. 2
First Annual Southern Nevada Youth Homelessness Summit Tackles the Issue Head-On with Expert Insights, Homeless Youth Perspective and the Kick-Off of a Collaborative Regional Plan
LAS VEGAS, Oct. 17, 2017 /3BL Media/ – Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS) and Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth (NPHY) today announced that the Intersections: The 2017 Southern Nevada Youth Homelessness Summit will feature an exclusive private screening prior to national mass release of Lost In America, a feature documentary that follows director Rotimi Rainwater's journey to shine a light on youth homelessness in America.
With involvement from Russell Simmons, Sen. Patrick Leahy, Jon Bon Jovi, Jewel, Halle Berry, Rosario Dawson, Sanaa Lathan and other celebrities, politicians and business leaders, Lost In America takes an all-encompassing look at this pandemic. The film highlights related issues such as human trafficking, the foster care system, youth rejection because of their sexuality, domestic violence, abuse and more. It also examines what many organizations, politicians and other public figures are doing to help youth experiencing homelessness – and more importantly, what still must be done to help.
Beyond the issues, politics and society's feelings toward homeless youth, is the heart of Lost in America – the kids. “This film tells the stories of amazing young people who are not defined by their circumstance, but instead by their courage, resilience and a desire to grow and succeed,” says Rainwater. “Their search for love and acceptance and their need to find their place in this world makes you realize they are no different than other young people. Yet, through a variety of reasons, they’ve found themselves living on the streets and searching for help.”
Summit 17, planned for Nov. 2 at The Venetian Las Vegas, aims to accelerate community awareness of the problem and will kick-start a year-long planning process to create the Southern Nevada Plan to End Youth Homelessness. This community-wide master plan is targeted at reducing the high incidence numbers and addressing the myriad of problems underscored by youth homelessness – from criminal behavior to health consequences.
“Being able to preview this amazing documentary is a great highlight for the Summit because it brings to life the desperation and denigration kids on the streets face, as well as the intersecting risks and problems that are accelerated by being homeless,” said Arash Ghafoori, executive director of Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth. “Anyone who sees this film will understand why we must take action now.”
According to the latest data available from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in its 2016 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, Las Vegas/Clark County had the third highest number of unaccompanied homeless children and youth living on the streets and in shelters of any major metro area in the United States – following only New York and Los Angeles. In addition, the State of Nevada continues to rank first in the rate of unaccompanied homeless youth living unsheltered, demonstrating a lack of resources in the community.
Summit 17 is presented by NPHY and Sands Cares, the corporate giving program of Las Vegas Sands Corp., with support from the UNLV Greenspun College of Urban Affairs and the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The event will showcase the youth homelessness issue through data and personal stories, as well as deliver insights from a range of experts. Other highlights planned for Summit 17 include:
- A state of the union on youth homelessness by the UNLV Greenspun College of Urban Affairs
- A review of the national policy landscape by Darla Bardine, J.D., Executive Director of the National Network for Youth (NN4Y), the United States’ largest public education and policy advocacy organization devoted to homeless youth
- A personal story by Giuseppe Pizano, a former homeless youth
- Interactive focus group sessions exploring the intersections between youth homelessness and other key community issue areas, including human trafficking, education, immigration and LGBTQ issues
For more information about Intersections: The 2017 Southern Nevada Youth Homelessness Summit, please visit http://www.nphy.org/summit17/ .
About Las Vegas Sands Corp.
Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS) is the world's pre-eminent developer and operator of world-class Integrated Resorts that feature luxury hotels; best-in-class gaming; retail; dining and entertainment; Meetings, Incentives, Convention and Exhibition (MICE) facilities; and many other business and leisure amenities. LVS pioneered the MICE-driven Integrated Resort, a unique, industry-leading and extremely successful model that serves both the business and leisure tourism markets.
LVS properties include The Venetian and The Palazzo resorts and Sands Expo in Las Vegas, Sands Bethlehem in Eastern Pennsylvania, and the iconic Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Through majority ownership in Sands China Ltd., LVS owns a portfolio of properties on the Cotai Strip in Macao, including The Venetian Macao, The Plaza and Four Seasons Hotel Macao, Sands Cotai Central and The Parisian Macao, as well as the Sands Macao on the Macao Peninsula.
LVS is dedicated to being a good corporate citizen, anchored by the core tenets of delivering a great working environment for our more than 50,000 team members worldwide, driving impact through its Sands Cares corporate giving program and leading innovation with the company’s award-winning Sands ECO360° global sustainability program. To learn more, please visit www.sands.com.
About Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth (NPHY)
NPHY is the most comprehensive service provider for the thousands of homeless youth in Southern Nevada, serving hundreds of youth through our core programs and touching the lives of thousands more through outreach each year. NPHY’s programs stabilize homeless teens’ lives, meeting their immediate needs and providing a safe, supportive environment and a path to self-sufficiency. Through our work with homeless youth, NPHY creates productive, healthy adults who contribute to society. For more information or to support our life-changing work for homeless youth, please visit www.nphy.org.
Media Contacts:
Kristin Koca
Las Vegas Sands Corp.
Kristin.Koca@sands.com
702-414-3218
Lanette Rivera
Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth
summit@nphy.org
702-969-2196