Christmas in the tunnels follow-up

Still could use more bottled water, canned goods, disposable razors, knit caps, winter coats, flashlights and batteries to take into the tunnels. If you live in Las Vegas and can spare any of these things, please let me know. I plan to go into the tunnels later this week.

Christmas in the tunnels

Looks like I’m going to be in Las Vegas for Christmas, so I’m planning to play Santa Claus in the underground flood channels. I’d like to go down there with an assortment of “gifts” – new or used: winter clothes, socks, shoes, canned goods, bottled water, books, flashlights, batteries, etc. I need mostly clothing for men, but also some women’s clothing.

If you have anything you’d like to donate to the cause, please let me know in the next week and a half.

Out of the dark

Steve and Kathryn, the couple featured in some of the media coverage of the tunnels, have been housed. Two weeks ago, I helped them move some of their stuff from the side tunnel they lived in for a few years to a group home in central Vegas. Just talked to them yesterday and they seem to be doing well.

They’re in the capable hands of Louis Lacey, one of HELP of Southern Nevada’s most respected case managers. Lacey, Rich Penksa and many other HELP staffers have visited the side tunnel – located about a half-mile into a storm drain – regularly over the past seven or eight months. Their determination and bravery have resulted in several people leaving that tunnel and being housed. They’re changing lives – and it’s incredible to see.

I’ll try to keep you all updated on Steve and Kathryn and the 15 or so other people the Shine a Light crew has helped lead from the darkness.

Third printing

The third printing of Beneath the Neon is back from the printer. It looks a lot like the second printing, but with some media mentions and blurbs on the first page.

Thanks to everyone who bought a copy of the book. And if you haven’t bought one and want to, visit http://shoplva.myshopify.com/products/beneath-the-neon or your local bookstore. (Last I checked, the Borders at Town Square had several signed copies.)

Or let me know and I can hook you up with a deal out of the trunk of my car.

As Seen on AC360

As a fan of Anderson Cooper and his show, AC360, I thought this was pretty cool. A special thanks to CNN senior producer Michael Cary, who did a great job with the text version of the story and was extremely professional throughout the process.

The video:

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/10/10/rowlands.homeless.tunnels.cnn?iref=videosearch

The text version:

http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2009/10/06/%E2%80%9Cout-of-sight-out-of-mind%E2%80%9D-underground-in-the-tunnels-of-las-vegas/

Shine a Light update

It’s been six months since HELP of Southern Nevada and I co-founded Shine a Light – a charity organization that helps the hundreds of men and women living in the underground flood channels of Las Vegas – so I figured I’d give you all a quick update. We’ve met and offered services to more than 100 people, got paperwork on about 35 (who are now on file) and housed and treated about 15. We’ve also helped people get IDs, food stamps, medical treatment and we’ve rescued a few animals.

The staff of HELP of Southern Nevada – led by Rich Penksa – and its affiliated organizations, including Straight from the Streets, Mojave Mental Health and WestCare, do incredible work! It’s been amazing to watch them take people from the tunnels and turn their lives around.

For more information on Shine a Light, visit www.beneaththeneon.com/shine_a_light.html.

A little love from the Times

Eric Lichtblau, a Pulitzer Prize winner with the New York Times, wrote a story about violence against the homeless and what some people are doing to try to prevent it. Toward the end of the piece, he mentions that homeless live in the underground flood channels of Las Vegas and he quotes your favorite (wink, wink) storm-drain chronicler.

It’s a good story, I think, about a really important subject:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/08/us/08homeless.html?hp