By JENNA RHUDE
Moapa Valley Progress
The Moapa Valley Chamber of Commerce hosted its monthly lunch membership meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 15. During this, Larry Griffiths from the local Just Serve.org initiative was there to present a new program to the Chamber. He called the program “Just A Little Help From My Neighbors.”
In partnership with the Moapa Valley Revitalization Project (MVRP), JustServe will help to identify people in need of help, and partner them with local volunteers who have signed up on the JustServe.org website.
The local program is still in the planning stages, Griffiths said. He emphasized the importance to have volunteers sign up on the website: JustServe.org. Griffiths explained that visitors to the website can locate the program name, “Just A Little Help From My Neighbors,” and sign up as a volunteer. Then your name and abilities are put into a database to be paired with those who need your help.
“We are not expecting our volunteers to move mountains,” Griffiths said. “But sometimes it’s the little things that you take for granted that you can no longer do when you are a little further advanced in life.”
Griffiths told of the snowbirds, disabled and elderly in our area that are not able to do the simple things themselves. “At times, an individual may need something as simple as changing light bulbs, or batteries in smoke detectors, or replacing air filters,” Griffiths said. “It’s hard for people who are no longer able to do these things on their own, to ignore them. They obsess over the little things that need done.”
Concern was expressed at the meeting that the volunteers/program would be taken advantage of. Griffith put these fears at ease saying that it was purely servic there would be no monetary exchange. If a person needs a battery changed, they would need to have that battery on hand before the volunteers arrive, Griffiths explained.
MaryKae Washburn, from the MVRP explained that the group is not meant to make people uncomfortable. “We are not going to judge your home, we just want to help,” she said.0
Volunteers must be at least 13 to sign up online. Those wishing to help but don’t use the internet may call: 702-397-HELP(4357).
