Mar 31, 2025 | Partner Profile
Serving Our Kids is honored to welcome Bay Law Injury Attorneys as our newest community partner. This Henderson law firm shares our deep commitment to helping children and is joining our fight to end child food insecurity in the Las Vegas valley.
Bay Law Injury Attorneys is a family-owned firm, built by Gokalp “Alp” Bayramoglu, his son Deniz, and daughter Nazly. Dedicated to serving their community, their commitment to excellence has been recognized with awards, such as Best Car Accident Lawyers in Henderson by Expertise.com and Best Accident Firm by the Sin City Chamber of Commerce.
“At our very first meeting, Bay Law agreed to become the Presenting Sponsor of our 17th Annual Bowl-A-Thon, and they scheduled a team bagging event,” said CEO Laurie Tanakaya. “They’re already making an important contribution to our mission.”
“We’re looking forward to a long-term partnership with this incredible organization,” said Deniz Bayramoglu, Managing Attorney of Bay Law. “We wanted to expand our outreach to the community, especially to children in need. And when we heard about how Serving Our Kids helps feed thousands of hungry kids every week… How could we not get involved?
“It’s always been important to us that our work extends beyond the courtroom and into our community,” Deniz added. “We built our business here and raised our families here. And we have a responsibility to give back to the people who make our community so special. Supporting Serving Our Kids lets us do this in a truly meaningful way.”
Jan 3, 2025 | Partner Profile
Since 1982, Speedway Children’s Charities (SCC) has awarded more than $72 million in grants to support non-profit organizations across America that meet the diverse challenges facing children. From learning disabilities and broken homes to childhood cancer and hunger, SCC works with local charities to help solve problems in their communities and help millions of children build better, brighter, healthier lives.
SCC is the philanthropic arm of Speedway Motorsports Incorporated, which owns 11 world-class race tracks around the country. SCC has local chapters dedicated to serving the communities around eight of these facilities, including the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
For the past five years, the Las Vegas Chapter of SCC has partnered with Serving Our Kids in our crusade to end child hunger in the Las Vegas valley.
“Speedway Children’s Charities provides invaluable support that helps us create weekend meal bags for thousands of hungry kids,” said SOK CEO Laurie Tanakaya. “They truly share our passion for serving children and making a positive impact in our community.”
Paulette Anderson, Director of Speedway Children’s Charities Las Vegas, noted that the chapter’s grants to SOK have steadily increased since the partnership began.
“Everyone here is impressed with how Serving Our Kids is helping food-insecure kids in this community,” Paulette said. “That’s why we’ve supported them over the years.
“The number of food-insecure children in Las Vegas has grown rapidly, especially since the pandemic,” Paulette added. “And now, rising food prices are making it even more difficult for families already struggling to feed their kids.
“Serving Our Kids gives weekend meal bags to 4,000 kids at 95 Clark County schools,” she continued. “So, they can concentrate on learning instead of being hungry. It’s one less thing these children and their parents have to worry about.”
Jan 3, 2025 | Partner Profile
There are more than 113,000 children in Clark County who don’t know when their next meal will be. Imagine what other basic needs they may lack. Serenity Bailey doesn’t have to. Every school day, she helps meet a broad range of life challenges facing more than 700 students at Walter Long Elementary in Las Vegas.
Serenity is a Site Coordinator for Communities In Schools of Nevada (CIS), a non-profit organization dedicated to doing whatever it takes to help students stay in school and succeed in school. CIS believes education can free children from poverty and empower them to reach their full potential.
“I’m a full-time problem solver,” Serenity said. “I’m the point person at Long who provides just about anything students may need. Even if they just need someone to talk to, I’m here for them.
“Many of the kids we help live below the poverty line in small, very expensive extended-stay hotel rooms,” she continued. “Many have large families. Some live with more than one family. And if the rent isn’t paid, they get kicked out.”
Serenity coordinates the delivery of food, clothing and hygiene items, as well as academic, economic and emotional support services – all provided through CIS. She also distributes Serving Our Kids (SOK) weekend meal bags.
“When adults don’t get enough to eat, we get ‘hangry,’” Serenity explained. “We can’t function well until we get a food fix. Imagine how kids feel, being that hungry, but not being able to do anything about it.
“When kids don’t get enough to eat, they start missing school,” she continued. “They won’t pay attention and focus on academics. They have behavior problems.
“If all of that gets better because they’re getting a weekend meal bag, that’s a good thing,” Serenity said. “The students look forward to it. All of them come to school on Friday when the bags arrive. It’s a big motivator.”
Last year, Long Elementary received 35 SOK weekend meal bags each week. This year it’s 80. And Serenity believes the need is even greater.
“I know more than 80 kids need weekend meal bags,” she continued. “But some parents won’t accept them because they don’t want people to know they need assistance. And the kids don’t want their classmates to know.
“But the meal bags are extremely important because that may be the only food those kids get on weekends,” she added. “Some kids don’t wait for the weekend. They start eating before they leave school.”
Serenity believes the Serving Our Kids weekend meal bags enhance many of the nutritional, educational and emotional support services CIS delivers to Long Elementary and elsewhere in Las Vegas valley. And CIS has become an important ally in SOK’s crusade against child hunger.
“I have a great relationship with Serving Our Kids,” she said. “Their volunteer delivery drivers are amazing. We have great conversations. They bring their pets and kids along. There’s a real bond between us because we’re all doing something to help the kids.”
Serenity admits her job can be tough but rewarding.
“I have three kids and three nieces and nephews, and I know they’ll get enough to eat,” she said. “But there are so many students here with so many needs and I wish I just could fix it all.
“But I love what I do,” Serenity said. “I work with a great team and we’re all doing whatever we can to help. And every time I see a kid smile, it’s worth it. It means a lot to them to know somebody cares.”
