Home for Holidays program nominations due by Dec. 1

Walker Furniture is seeking nomination letters on behalf of those in need for its Home for the Holidays program. This will mark the 20th consecutive year that the company will bring some joy and hope to Southern Nevadans in need by providing them with a houseful of new furniture in time for the holiday season.

Larry Alterwitz, CEO of Walker Furniture, said the company will be making the holidays a little brighter for 28 families in need this year.

Hundreds of Southern Nevada families have seen their lives change for the better through the Home for the Holidays program. Recipients have typically endured a variety of hardships, such as the single-parent family of five, where one child had a brain injury that required ongoing therapy and the entire family was sleeping on the floor; a family that lost all of its possessions in a fire; and four children whose mother was shot and killed by their father and are now being raised by their grandparents.

Walker Furniture relies on the community to submit letters on behalf of prospective recipients. Letters typically come from teachers and students, health care professionals, social service workers, clergy, friends, neighbors, children and grandchildren.

Anyone with a family or individual in mind should write to Alterwitz describing the situation. All letters are reviewed by outside, independent panels with assistance from HELP of Southern Nevada. The preliminary panel consists of representatives of HELP of Southern Nevada, a nonprofit organization that reads and verifies the thousands of letters received each year to help determine those in the most genuine need for new furnishings.

Since 1970, HELP of Southern Nevada has assisted individuals and families to become self-sufficient through direct services, training and referrals. HELP of Southern Nevada has been a great asset to Walker since joining the company as a partner for the Home for the Holidays program, Alterwitz said.

Nomination letters should be sent to: Larry Alterwitz, CEO, Walker Furniture, 301 S. Martin Luther King Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89106. They also can be hand delivered, faxed to 702-384-7772 or emailed to cnelson@walkerfurniture.com. Additionally, letters can be submitted online by visiting www.walkerfurniturehomefortheholidays.com.

All letters must be received by Dec. 1 to be reviewed.

The 28 recipients will be announced during a luncheon Dec. 11; furniture deliveries will begin Dec. 13.

Home for the Holidays is the largest annual charitable endeavor for Walker Furniture, which has a long history of contributing to worthwhile community causes. The program began in 1994 with deliveries to 12 families.