The Shade Tree

By Brian Sodoma

Tuesday, June 30, 2009 | 3:43 p.m.

As many nonprofits seek funding in a tough economy, few can argue the importance of The Shade Tree shelter in the Las Vegas community. Since 1990, The Shade Tree has served homeless and abused women and children, victims of domestic violence, victims of elder abuse, victims of street violence, female veterans, homeless youth and the physically disabled. Each year, it offers more than 80,000 bed nights of shelter for those in need.

This year, while operating on a funding shortfall, The Shade Tree is experiencing strong volume increases. In the past 12 months, it has served the community with more than 100,000 bed nights for abused women and children.

“Every time, we’ve usually had a dip in numbers during the course of the year; this time around, we’re full. We’ve even pulled out cots, so that we’re not turning away anyone,” said Marlene Richter, executive director for The Shade Tree and Noah’s Animal House.

Breaking the mold for shelters around the country, The Shade Tree opened Noah’s Animal House in 2007. Since opening in October of that year, the facility has handled nearly 13,000 boarded nights by the end of 2008. Housed on the campus of The Shade Tree, Noah’s Animal House was born from a need that arose when housing domestic violence victims. It is the country’s first full-service kennel on the grounds of a domestic violence shelter.

“Oftentimes, we found that the women that were sheltered here would go back home to check on an animal or try to figure out what to do with the animals,” Richter added.

Even with the tough economic times putting a strain on the facility and funding resources, Richter finds encouragement in the many women and children who turn their lives around through The Shade Tree, which also helps its clients become self-sufficient through professional training and job development programs.

“For all of these years, I’ve watched these women and their children start over and do it with barely any resources and hardly any tools,” Richter said. “If they can do that one at a time, then we, as a community, can get through this (economic hardship) together, one step at a time.”