Lutheran Social Services of Nevada, a longtime Las Vegas anti hunger nonprofit, has hit the brakes on its food pantry and senior meals because of a cash crunch, and insiders say the money situation inside the organization looks anything but straightforward. Resignation letters and internal emails obtained by investigators describe repeated payouts to businesses tied to the CEO’s inner circle and warn that board members were left unable to explain where the money went. The freeze has left seniors and regular pantry clients without services while donors and housing partners press for a clearer trail of how funds have been spent.
Public records obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal show regular disbursements, reportedly $8,500 a month apiece, to companies tied to CEO Tim Bedwell’s wife, Michele, and to Adam Kent, a senior associate who later became chief of staff. The same records show the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority paid LSSN roughly $594,500 while a nine year, $10 million federal contract tied to Marble Manor was later terminated, and that payroll tax credits delayed during the federal shutdown left the agency short about a quarter million dollars.
According to Lutheran Social Services of Nevada, the organization’s website now lists pantry operations as “temporarily on hold,” with administrative staff still available for limited assistance and holiday programs. The site directs clients to partner locations and office hours while noting that both the pantry and senior meal services remain suspended.
Board Resignations And Internal Warnings
Former chief operating officer Darryl Davis resigned in September 2024 and warned board leaders that “the sheer level of mismanagement means that no one within the organization can confidently account for how the funds were used,” language that was obtained and published by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Several board members and three senior staffers also quit around the same time, telling the paper that invoices arrived without contracts and that their requests for supporting documents went nowhere.
Contracts, Grants And Court Traces
Documents and interviews gathered during the Review Journal investigation show that over the past two years LSSN either lost or saw suspended multiple grants and contracts, including a state SNAP Ed award and a city ARPA award that had already been on hold once for reporting lapses. Court filings cited in the reporting show credit card suits naming Michele Bedwell, and agency transaction records the paper reviewed indicate that payments to her firms and to Invictus Consulting continued after the September 2024 board resignations. LSSN’s most recently available tax filing reported roughly $5.1 million in revenue and $4.7 million in expenses for the fiscal year that ended in June 2024.
What Comes Next For Clients And Oversight
With core programs paused and an audit reportedly in progress, donors and partner agencies say they want an independent accounting of taxpayer and charitable funds along with a firm timeline for restoring services. The federal government shutdown that slowed reimbursements ended in mid November, according to The Associated Press, but local advocates caution that getting operations back to full strength will not be quick and that food insecurity in southern Nevada is a right now problem…