In northwest Las Vegas, while politicians argue about food stamps and government programs, one local church is quietly doing something remarkable.
Truth Christian Ministries International (TCMI), located off North Rainbow Boulevard, has been serving its neighbors for more than a decade through a food pantry that runs every single Saturday morning.
The lines start forming around 3 a.m. By the time the doors open at 7 a.m., cars are backed up for more than a mile.
Families, seniors, and veterans wait patiently for a chance to pick up a box of groceries – no long questionnaires and no lecture about politics.
Just food, given freely, with dignity and respect.
Meeting a Growing Need
The demand is staggering.
According to Three Square Food Bank, one in seven people in Southern Nevada deal with hunger for a variety of reasons. For kids, the number is closer to one in five.
Nevada ranks among the highest in the nation for families struggling to put meals on the table.
Lisa Cole represents the northwest part of the Las Vegas Valley (District 4), and she has seen TCMI’s impact herself.
“I’ve spoken to the family who runs the pantry at TCMI, and they tell me the lines are back up to where they were during COVID,” Lisa reported, “People are hurting, and this church makes a difference.”
“It’s staggering how much TCMI cares and does for the community,” Lisa writes, “It’s rescuing good food from grocery stores to hurting families. It’s private people volunteering, doing God’s work to help others.”
Volunteers use electric pallet jacks to move pallets of food, drive trucks to 60 grocery stores around the valley every week and haul tons of boxes of food into refrigerators to prepare for Saturday distribution.
It’s an enormous undertaking 6 days a week to gather enough food to feed 120,000 people every year.
TCMI receives food from Three Square Food Bank (which itself receives government assistance) but the pantry does not get financial help for operating costs.
There’s no taxpayer check paying for the forklifts, fuel, or volunteers.
What keeps the pantry running is local sweat equity and private donations.
Even more, TCMI doesn’t just wait for shipments from Three Square.
Volunteers “rescue” food from more than 60 grocery stores every single week.
That means gathering food that would otherwise go to waste and putting it straight into the hands of people who need it.
It’s hard, physical work – but it ensures the pantry isn’t reliant on government programs alone and always has more than enough to serve everyone who comes.
A Hands-On Approach
On any given Saturday, hundreds of families come through the church’s drive-thru line.
Volunteers – sometimes whole families – pack and load boxes filled with non-perishable items.
For those without a car, there’s a walk-up option.
The effort has been running for more than 12 years, feeding hundreds of thousands of people in the Las Vegas Valley.
And unlike many government programs, there are no long waits, no endless paperwork, and no embarrassment.
Reviews from participants highlight how respectful and kind the volunteers are.
This Is What Community Looks Like
Inflation in Las Vegas has driven grocery prices up nearly 25 percent since 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
For working families living paycheck to paycheck, that’s devastating.
Critics sometimes argue that food distribution should be left to government agencies, but programs like TCMI prove there’s another way.
Private charity is often faster, more efficient, and far more compassionate.
It Only Takes a Little to Change a Lot
TCMI’s pantry is 100 percent volunteer-driven, and donations are always needed.
Individuals can sign up to help on the church website or email staff directly.
Groups – from schools to businesses – are encouraged to pitch in. Kids as young as junior high can participate with a parent.
The pantry operates every Saturday from 7 to 9 a.m. at 5101 N. Rainbow Blvd. Volunteers arrive early to set up.
If you can’t give time, financial donations help keep the forklifts running and the trucks on the road.
In a city known for glitz and gluttonous excess, this little church is showing what our real community looks like..
For more information or to get involved, visit tcmichurch.com/pantry or call (702) 476-5660.
