Las Vegas Unificationists Dedicated to Serving Community
Photo courtesy of Shine City Project
Young Unificationists in Las Vegas are at it again — amassing more than 30 service projects so far this year!
The Shine City Project (SCP) team, a grassroots organization initiated by young Unificationists in 2013, frequently works with a number of local non-profit organizations. This year they have undertaken a wide range of service projects, including city and wildlife cleanup, volunteering with homeless shelters and various schools, revegetating large swaths of land in and around Las Vegas, and much more.
In May, the group teamed up with members of GPA to care for farm animals during a service project at the McKee Ranch Foundation. Established in 2004, the McKee Ranch Foundation is a working ranch open to the public that sits on two-and-a-half acres of land dedicated to preserving and promoting farm culture in Southern Nevada.
Photo courtesy of Shine City Project
“They take care of abandoned and adopted animals such as horses, goats, alpacas, pigs and other animals,” says SCP Director, Jeffrey Silerio. “Our volunteers met with the owner of the ranch, who has owned it for more than 20 years. We separated into small groups and were given different tasks.”
Some 15 volunteers came out to help organize and sort a storage room, while others helped rake excess hay and debris around the ranch. Volunteers then helped disassemble and stack some moveable railing for the horses.
“We also helped unload bags of animal feed and large bales of hay from a pickup truck trailer,” says Silerio. “The tasks became a little more tough and strenuous as the day progressed, but in the end, we had to work together to move all the bags of animal feed and large bales of hay since they were unwieldy and heavy ... It was hard work, but together we got the job done!”
Photo courtesy of Shine City Project
The team moved about 30 bales of hay in total — an impressive feat, only eclipsed by more daunting projects. The group has picked up litter on multiple occasions in various parts of Mount Charleston, a national recreation area, filling up countless bags of trash. SCP has also helped plant thousands of native shrubs and grasses across the Clark County Wetlands Park, including species such as globemallow, brittlebush, desert marigold, and alkali sacaton.
Now in June, the group is on track to quickly surpass the 48 service projects they completed in 2021. Silerio says it acts as a reflection of the Unification faith and values put into action. He and members of SCP, including his younger sister, received national recognition earlier this year with the President’s Volunteer Service Award for their combined 127 hours of community service during 2021.
Silerio says SCP will continue its weekly trend of service projects, partnering next with Spread the Word Nevada on June 11 to help clean and prepare donated books for Las Vegas students.
You can learn more about the Shine City Project and get involved here.