Beneath the bright lights and busy streets of Las Vegas lies a world few ever see. Men, women, and children live in the city’s underground flood channels, hidden from public view and often forgotten. For this population, estimated to be 1,500, survival is a daily challenge, due to the inconsistent weather in the city. Between the heavy rainy days and extremely high temperatures in the summer, the residents of the tunnel struggle to make the best of each day. Access to resources is limited because it is hard for these people to make contact with those who want to help them, so organizations have stepped in to guarantee this contact is made between the underground tunnels and above-ground world. Shine A Light, a Las Vegas based nonprofit, goes directly into this hidden world with a mission to bring dignity, support, and a pathway to stability.
Founded to serve those living in the storm drains and tunnels of the city, Shine A Light is committed to bringing humanity to those living underground. Their outreach is unique, using volunteers and staff physically entering the tunnels to meet people where they live, providing food, water, toiletries, flashlights, and, most importantly, personal connection. A veteran volunteer, Bryan Hardimon, and a former tunnel resident himself, explains, “it’s a life beyond people’s wildest dreams, in the worst way. There’s a lot of drugs, addiction, crime, extortion… all types of things that just shouldn’t be going on,” he explains, based on things he physically saw during his time in the tunnels. Hardimon represents the outcome of the Shine A Light program, explaining, “[they] try to give people hope and a way out,”which he accomplished with the help of the volunteers from the organization.
Shine A Light uses the IPATH (Instant Placement with Access to Treatment and Housing) program, so individuals are able to be connected to transitional housing, treatment programs, employment support, and vital document recovery. One participant, Jacob Short, explains that, “Shine A Light paid for [his] stay at treatment and also paid for [his] sober living afterwards,” which got him stable enough to find a job and begin living on his own. The organization also provides up to two years of case management, ensuring participants have the guidance and support needed to maintain independence and avoid returning to homelessness…