LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – HELP of Southern Nevada, partnered with Prevent Child Trafficking Vegas, opened the first Vegas Cares Boutique in May.
It’s a free clothing boutique exclusively for residents at the Shannon West Homeless Youth Center, which houses about 130 people experiencing homelessness, ages 16 to 24.
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On Tuesday, FOX5 joined a group of young adults experiencing homelessness as they shopped at the boutique, hoping to find a new outfit and a new sense of confidence.
“Homelessness really doesn’t discriminate against anybody. I mean, I grew up middle class,” said one shopper.
“Due to my childhood, I was locked up in juvenile, and it kind of landed me to homelessness,” said another shopper.
“I was living on the sidewalk for like a couple weeks, and then my sister found Shannon West,” said another shopper and resident of the Shannon West Homeless Youth Center.
Residents at the Shannon West Homeless Youth Center in Las Vegas now have a free clothing boutique all their own.
“I liked the different variety of clothing, sunglasses, jewelry and stuff,” said one resident on a shopping spree at the boutique.
At the Vegas Cares Boutique, the shoppers can sort through different sizes and styles, try on the clothes, and pick out a brand-new outfit rather than the used, donated items that most shelters and nonprofits normally offer.
“Normally, when people make boutiques for homeless people, they don’t really put time and effort into making the boutique, and this place did,” said a shopper. “It felt like they put their heart and soul into making the boutique, and it really brought joy.”
While shopping, the teens and young adults also learn about the dangers and warning signs of sex trafficking which homeless youth are especially susceptible to.
The boutique equips the shoppers with the knowledge, clothing and confidence they need to progress on a path out of homelessness.
“What we’re doing is empowering them to take control of their future and to create a better life for themselves, ” said Rhonda Sciortino, co-founder of the Prevent Child Trafficking Vegas Cares Boutique
“I had a very low quantity of clothing when I came here. I only had like two pairs of sweats, two pairs of shirts,” said a Shannon West Homeless Youth Center resident. “It was a lot more stressful. I didn’t have clean clothes to actually go to interviews. It was just all sweats, so I’m glad I found this place because I got an interview, and I actually have a job now.”
To learn more about the boutique and the Shannon West Homeless Youth Center, click here.
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