I have to admit that I always thought that volunteering in a food bank meant I’d be putting hot food on a tray for an unfortunate homeless person. A visit to a food bank in Florida and then Three Square in Las Vegas sure opened my eyes. As the Three Square website explains, “Hungry does not mean homeless. It may surprise you to learn that, every day, working parents in Southern Nevada face an unthinkable choice between feeding their families and paying the bills.” In fact, one in seven people in southern Nevada struggle with hunger. That is a staggering number considering the prosperity that abounds in Las Vegas.

Through community partners, Three Square was able to reach nearly 140,000 individuals struggling with hunger each month in 2016. Three Square is an amazing and very efficient food collection, preparation, and distribution center in Las Vegas. Their efficiency means they can turn a $1 donation into 3 meals. The best grocery store shoppers can’t even come close to that ratio. In fact, Three Square is so efficient, 94.1% of all donations and revenue go directly into their food and distribution programs. 3.7% of revenue is spent on fundraising efforts, and administration expenses are only 2.2%! That’s impressive! Donation money is spent very wisely and efficiently.

Donating to an organization like Three Square truly helps people in our community survive. The need is tremendous and still growing. Donations are needed every day to help those currently in need. Every $1 donated provides 3 meals. Donating $1,000 to Three Square will provide 3,000 meals. Now imagine if you could help 100,000 times more! Imagine providing 300,000 meals to those in need; how about 3,000,000 meals?! Life insurance is the way to make your money go farther. Using life insurance as a donation instrument is a way to make your money more efficient and go further than imaginable. Rather than using your cash as a donation, you can purchase a life insurance policy that will provide 4 or 5 times more money to Three Square. Purchasing a $1,000,000 life insurance policy, designating Three Square as the beneficiary, is an ideal way to create a legacy without using $1 million from your estate. Imagine how you’d feel by providing 3,000,000 meals to hungry people in southern Nevada!

To make your money go even further, one of the life insurance providers we use at Universal Retirement will also contribute an additional 2% of any death benefit designated to Three Square. That’s an extra 60,000 meals!

Let’s all help eradicate hunger in our community.