Family shelter children take center stage in Reno

Children living at the Volunteers of America Family Shelter will take the stage with Miss Sparks Outstanding Teen Nasya Mancini tomorrow night. Mancini has volunteered at the family shelter for several months, offering drama and theater workshops for the children, who will showcase their new skills at a performance from 6-6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Southside Cultural Center, 190 E. Liberty St.

The community is invited to attend this free performance. The children will perform scenes from “The Lion King,” “Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin” in full makeup and costumes. Donations will be accepted to support the family shelter.

A longtime participant of the local nonprofit organization TheatreWorks, Mancini began volunteering at the family shelter while competing in the Miss Sparks Outstanding Teen competition. She will soon compete in Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Nevada State Pageant.

Each night in Northern Nevada, Volunteers of America, a national nonprofit, faith-based human service organization, provides emergency shelter, transitional housing and affordable housing for more than 700 men, women and children, including seniors, veterans and the mentally ill. At the Community Assistance Center in downtown Reno, Volunteers of America operates the family shelter, men’s shelter, women’s shelter, resource center, and ReStart programs, serving more than 7,700 people each year.

Established locally in 1896, the Northern California and Northern Nevada affiliate of Volunteers of America is one of the largest providers of social services in the region, operating programs dedicated to ending homelessness, supporting vulnerable populations and transforming communities into safer, healthier places. For information, see www.voa-ncnn.org or contact Sandy Isham, development and community relations officer, at 775-322-7143 or sisham@voa-nv.org.