'Nevadans for the Common Good' leaders discovered that Nevada was ranked 51st in the nation in terms of the level of state support for Meals on Wheels. As a result, there were over 1,000 home-bound seniors who were on the waiting list. NCG leveraged the support of municipal governments, state legislators and the governor to increase state funding to $3.4 million (a tenfold increase) in order to eliminate the waiting list.

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200 leaders of Nevadans for the Common Good were joined by US Senator Catherine Cortez-Masto for a civic academy on immigration at All Saint's Episcopal Church. People participated in the session in order to "learn the facts" about immigration, build relationships with each other and conduct public business with Senator Masto.

Said NCG leader Matt Estes, "It's really important that we get some of this information out because there's a lot of myths and a lot of stories." Chimed in Jeanne Ward-Estes, the event only "touched the tip of the iceberg."

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Over 75 citizen leaders of 'Nevadans for the Common Good' packed the Grant Sawyer State office building to support increased funding for the Meals on Wheels program.

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Over 200 leaders of Nevadans for the Common Good invited candidates for office to an assembly in which well over 200 participated. Leaders secured commitments from federal, state, and local candidates to work with the organization to advance their agenda of issues on education, healthcare, and immigration.

Additional photos, NCG

Las Vegas, NV - Leaders of Nevadans for the Common Good cried 'foul' when a dead bill proposing to privatize the provision of Medicaid services was kept alive through unnatural means. Though voted down, it remained in the Assembly Ways and Means Committee through an exemption sparing it from normal deadlines. That same language was then grafted onto a separate bill (SB 514) and approved by the legislature the day before it adjourned.

"We are just concerned about transparency," said Barbara Paulsen, whose church in Boulder City is a member of NCG. The proposed change could impact 54,000 people statewide. ""If there's a transition, it needs to be carefully planned," Paulsen said Wednesday. "It's a major decision and people need to be aware of it and need to have an understanding of the steps being taken and the rationale and ability to comment on them."

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Nevadans for the Common Good celebrated the signing of the CARE Act by Governor Sandoval which recognizes the important role that family caregivers play in caring for their loved ones by improving communication between families and hospitals. Rev. Art Gafke (standing on the right side) represented NCG at the signing.

Days prior, fourteen leaders from NCG participated in a two-day caregiver respite training held by REST at St. Andrew's. Leaders plan to take this training back to caregivers in their communities to serve the needs of elders and their families.

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After 1,600 leaders from Nevadans for the Common Good Lead convened their 2nd convention on a Tuesday night at the Cashman Center, lead organizer Robert Hoo reminded them, "It wasn't a ballgame, it wasn't a musical concert. It was people coming together to talk about issues. The interest is there, and it's even grown." Read more below:

Nevadans for the Common Good Invite Participation in Public Life, Las Vegas Review Journal

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More than 1,500 leaders from across Nevada convened at the packed Cashman Theatre in Las Vegas to celebrate the passage of anti-sex trafficking legislation last year to and issue challenges to a broad range of public officials around multiple issues. The organization obtained solid commitments from public officials after sharing stories about elder abuse in unlicensed group homes, public transportation problems for wounded veterans and disabled, and the need for immigration reform and respite care for caregivers. The organization has grown over the last two years to include 33 member institutions. [Photo Credit: L.E. Baskow, Las Vegas Sun)

Building Off Legislative Success, Interfaith Group Eyes New Set of Social Concerns, Las Vegas Sun

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As part of its elder issues campaign, leaders of 'Nevadans for the Common Good' have begun researching the accessibility of public transport in Boulder City, conducting a research action in the field.

"'The good news,' said the Rev. Robert Stoeckig of the Office of the Vicar General of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Vegas, ...'is that the (Regional Transportation Commission) website is wrong. But the bad news is that the website is wrong.'

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With his mom behind bars for having a deportation order, 21 year-old Bryan Rivera spoke with "the voice of hundreds of kids being affected by immigration laws," alongside Bishop Joseph Pepe and other religious leaders of Nevadans for the Common Good.

Testimony from 'Nevadans for the Common Good' detailed how the failure to address a broken system is tearing apart families, harming children and weakening communities in Southern Nevada, thus highlighting how policy implementation at the local level is ultimately dehumanizing people.

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