Our Story
Born in 2020, the DSCRC initially started as a project of Desert Spring United Methodist Church (DSUMC), to serve neighbors during the first year of the pandemic. As wide-spread impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic rippled throughout out local economy, every corner of Southern Nevada saw an increase in need and wide variability of needs now years later. Many families that had never utilized social programs found themselves in food pantry lines for the very first time in their lives. DSUMC, having been a trusted neighborhood institution for over 25 years in the area, became inundated with the needs of its own members and neighbors. Once DSUMC began operating drive-thru food distribution events, it became apparent with partners and clients that more services were needed in the often-overlooked presumed affluent area of town where the DSCRC began operating.
Since early 2021, when the program expanded into a permanent food pantry, the DSCRC has been working to grow its programs, expand its outreach to those that may need its services, and continually dispel the assumptions of where need may appear in Southern Nevada. In fact, in the first three quarters of 2023, 65% of families served at the DSCRC live in the City of Las Vegas and 47% of all families served live in a Summerlin zip code. In 2022, the DSCRC received its own IRS 501c3 designation of non-profit tax status and has continued to operate in the DSUMC facilities, which keeps the organization physically close to a committed group of volunteers and provides a safe and inconspicuous location for the provision of services.
One of our core values is listening, which is vital to connecting with and serving our clients. We have learned that those seeking food are also in need of support to navigate other resources and programs, thus the DSCRC expanded to provide additional services including case management with volunteers from Desert Spring UMC. Our dream is to invest in relationships between our church community, our clients, and the many social service agencies throughout southern Nevada to ensure that every family can be self-sustaining. Ultimately, we want to empower our volunteers, donors, and clients to participate fully in public life and use our experiences to make positive change for all.
Our Board
Summer Worrall
Summer is a South Carolina native and an Air Force military spouse. The military brought her family to Las Vegas originally in 2018 and she loved the area immediately. She is currently the Chief Financial Officer at Hope Christian Health Center and has been in the non-profit sector most of her career. Summer is passionate about helping others and is called to serve in her Christian faith. In Summer’s free time, she likes to visit family, read, and be outdoors. She and her husband have two cats and one child.
Linda Lewis
Board Treasurer
Linda is the President of Progressive Policy and Practice, LLC. She has more than thirty years’ experience in community-based health and social services management, program evaluation, policy and fund development, holding local, state, and national positions. She has operated a woman- owned, consulting business in Las Vegas for the past 26 years with a focus on grant writing services for non-profit organizations throughout Clark County and in other states as well. She was married to Jack K. Lewis for nearly 47 years, until he passed away in 2016. Prior to moving to Nevada, She was the Executive Director of a non-profit drug abuse treatment and prevention program in Tampa, Florida for 13 years and then worked for the State of Florida as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Alcohol and Drug Abuse. In 1990 she and Jack moved to Washington, D.C., and she worked in the Executive Office of the President as the Deputy Director for Treatment and Rehabilitation Services in the Office of National Drug Control Policy. She has testified before state legislatures and congressional committees. She loves Las Vegas and enjoys spending time with friends and family. She is a long time member of Desert Spring United Methodist Church and attends Church Council meetings.
Patti Chance
Board President
Patti Chance was on faculty at UNLV from 1998-2009, during which time she served as Program Coordinator for PK-12 Educational Leadership. In 2009, she moved to San Diego to serve as Chair of the Department of Educational Leadership at San Diego State University. In 2014, she returned to UNLV to direct efforts at redesigning their Educational Leadership program preparing teachers to serve in administrative positions in PK-12 schools. Prior to her service in higher education, Dr. Chance was employed as a building level principal, assistant principal, and teacher. She retired in 2017, and is honored to serve on the Board for the newly established Desert Spring Community Resource Center. She brings a passion for helping to meet the needs of children, families, and educators in the Las Vegas area.
Bev Darrow
Bio coming soon
Bridget Phillips
Board Secretary
Bridget was the founding principal for Doral Academy of Nevada and retired on July 31, 2021, as the Chief Academic & Operations Officer. Doral Academy, an arts integrated charter school, opened its doors in August of 2013. The second Doral campus opened in Mountain’s Edge in August of 2014, the third Doral Campus opened in the northwest area of the valley in August 2015, the fourth campus opened in the Summerlin area in August of 2016, and the fifth campus opened in southwest Las Vegas in August of 2017. Bridget was formerly the Director of the School-Community Partnership Program for the Clark County School District for six years. In this position she was responsible for connecting business and community resources to Clark County School District schools. In this role she developed partnerships with non-profit community organizations such as Three Square, Communities In Schools, and Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Kimberly Groome
Kimberly is from Richmond, VA. She attended Virginia Tech, receiving both an undergrad degree and MBA focused on Marketing. She worked in the pharmaceutical/biotech space her entire career, due to her love of science and helping people. She says her family raised her to volunteer and to give back to her community. She lived in LV right after college in the late 90s, moved to Scottsdale, then Los Angeles, and then back to LV in late 2020. Kimberly has been thrilled to be a part of the DSCRC for the last few years, and is always happy to hear from the neighbors who we serve, how we are able to help them. I want to be a part of the team to help the resource center grow, and thrive.
Julia Bush
Julia is originally from Chesapeake, VA and moved to Las Vegas in 2022. She attended Pace University in New York City, earning her MS in Taxation and BBA in Public Accounting. Shortly thereafter, she became a licensed CPA in both New York and Nevada. Julia worked as a public tax accountant for five and a half years before taking on her current role as an internal tax accountant for an international metals manufacturing company headquartered in Las Vegas. In her free time, she hikes, camps, and is an active member in her church. Julia has a passion for service and is excited to make a difference in our community.
Tara Crouch
Tara grew up in Northern California in the farming town of Brentwood. Tara swam competitively and received a full scholarship to swim at UNLV bringing her to Las Vegas. After graduating from UNLV, Tara began a teaching career with CCSD teaching middle school mathematics. Tara moved up to high school mathematics quickly and was in the classroom for 7 years before taking an extended leave of absence to stay home and raise children. After ten years at home, Tara returned to teaching high school and is approaching retirement from teaching. Tara is now mostly teaching students at Palo Verde High School who are interested in becoming teachers through the Rebel Teach program with UNLV. Tara and Gary, her husband of over 29 years, also own and operate Las Vegas Swim Academy where they have been teaching children (and adults) to swim for the last 26 years. Tara started following Christ in 1989 and is very active in her church, Calvary Red Rock. Tara has been involved with Young Life in various capacities since 1994 from leader to committee member. Tara has been involved with the Allyfe Pregnancy Center since 2004. Tara and her husband have three grown children and newly became grandparents.
Gavin Froehlich
Gavin is a Freight Supervisor at Freeman, where he plays a key role in planning and executing trade shows and conventions across Las Vegas. Gavin is committed to giving back to the community that raised him. He serves as an Assistant Scout Leader with Troop 912, guiding youth through merit badge programs and mentoring them on their journey to Eagle Scout.
Gavin is also a dedicated mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Nevada, where he supports his mentee through the challenges of growing up. Since 2020, Gavin has been an active volunteer with the DSCRC and is always seeking meaningful ways to support and uplift those around him.
Rae Lathrop
Director
Contact via email
Rae Lathrop is passionate about environmental sustainability and community involvement. She believes in the vibrancy of Las Vegas and is committed to inspiring a sense of “home” for both long-term and newly-arrived residents of the community. After earning both her B.A. in Environmental Science and an M.A. in Energy and Environmental Analysis from Boston University, Rae returned to Nevada to work in nonprofit and public management. Throughout her career, Rae has maintained an active community role by serving on multiple nonprofit boards and she enjoys gardening in her spare time.
Anthony Paske
Program Coordinator
Anthony Paske is the dedicated and driven Pantry Coordinator at DSCRC. With a strong passion for community engagement, he plays a crucial role in recruiting, training, and managing volunteers, ensuring that each person’s contributions align with the nonprofit’s mission and goals. His ability to foster a positive, inclusive environment helps volunteers feel valued and motivated to contribute their time and skills. Anthony is currently attending UNLV, working toward a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a focus on Marketing. He has been a devoted member of Desert Spring UMC for many years and has a passion for traveling, sports, and supporting the growth of his community.
