The Shade Tree

Volunteer Opportunities: Yes

History

The Shade Tree was established in 1990 as Jubilee Ministries and offered safety, shelter and cots in the basement of Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church. In 1990, diocese members, Junior League of Las Vegas and the City of Las Vegas collaborated to establish a permanent shelter. In December of that year, The Shade Tree opened in a building owned by Catholic Charities.

Within ten years, The Shade Tree had far outgrown this first building. Programs and services that were truly helping women attain self-reliance were taxing the old building. To address these growing pains, Donald W. Reynolds Foundation made a dream come true with a $5 million dollar capital grant to build a new facility at the corner of Owens and Main Street.

The Shade Tree is the largest shelter of its kind in the state and is the only 24-hour accessible shelter designed specifically to meet the needs of women and children in Southern Nevada. With 364 permanent beds, The Shade Tree provides over 100,000 nights of shelter each year. On average, 33% of our clients are children under the age of 18. Senior citizens represent the fastest growing segment of our population.

The second and third floors of our 38,000 square foot facility are residential areas.

Mission

The Shade Tree is open to any woman, with or without children, and male and female unaccompanied youth who lack a safe, adequate place to live. We provided victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, elder abuse, human trafficking, as well as homeless youth and families, the tools and resources they need to assist with recovery and healing. We help the women pick up the pieces and guide them on their path to self-sufficiency.