The Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada (The Center) is expanding. Less than four years after opening its first location near downtown Las Vegas, The Center plans to open a Henderson location in early 2017. 

This new location will be home to the Center Advocacy Network, which will connect the LGBT community with needed services and resources.

“This will help us achieve a wider reach in the community,” Michael Dimengo, CEO of The Center, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. 

“We don’t intend to reinvent the wheel. We have been fortunate to partner with social service agencies throughout Las Vegas. We intend to co-locate those services and agencies and connect (our clients) with those agencies.”

The new location at 1995 Whitney Mesa Drive will focus on social services, offering a food bank, clothing exchange and job training for LGBT community members. 

“At this time, we wouldn’t be expanding our staff,” Dimengo said, adding that he hopes to recruit enough volunteers to help out. On social media he’s already asked for skilled individuals, such as contractors, electricians and artists, to donate time and services to the new space. 

Las Vegas residents Jon Gathercole and Claude Raffin donated the 4,500-square-foot-space. They had been impressed during a visit to the Las Vegas location a few years back, but realized that The Center needed more room.

After purchasing a warehouse in Henderson, they showed Dimengo and board members the space. They also hosted a fundraiser in 2016 that raised $47,000 to go towards renovations. The couple then also gave $25,000 of their own money.

“We hope that this gets other people to step forward and see there is a need and offer financial support,” Gathercole said.

The Center’s polling data shows that the Las Vegas location currently gets an influx of residents from Henderson.