Tea cups, tarot cards and a Macy's fashion show are coming together at Durango Casino & Resort on Friday, September 25, as HELP of Southern Nevada throws its 27th annual Tea, Trends & Tranquility fundraiser. Tickets run $175 per person, with tables of 10 available, for the 2 to 5 p.m. event.
According to KLAS 8 News Now, the event is billed as a signature fundraiser bringing tea, fashion, fellowship and philanthropy together in one afternoon to support HELP of Southern Nevada's work across the community. This year's gathering leans into a Regency-era garden party theme with an “Afternoon Tea Chic” dress code, complete with tea service from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, tarot readings by Mystic Mona and a runway show courtesy of Macy's, according to Nevada Business Magazine. The afternoon will also honor Terrible Herbst executives Bryan Breeden, Kaila Adams and Mark Walters, along with community supporters Sara Costello and Wendy Hornbuckle, per the same outlet.
Ticket information for the September 25 event is available at helpsonv.org, the station's report notes. This is not the first time Durango has hosted the party — the fundraiser was held at the same resort in September 2025 and, further back, at the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas in September 2019, according to Non-Profit News Vegas. Durango Casino & Resort is the venue for this year's event.
A Half-Century of Serving Southern Nevada
HELP of Southern Nevada's roots stretch back more than five decades. The organization was established in 1970 as the Voluntary Action Center through the efforts of the Junior League of Las Vegas, initially functioning as an information and referral service before growing into direct social and housing assistance, according to the Junior League of Las Vegas. That evolution now includes the Shannon West Homeless Youth Center, a 37,000-square-foot residential facility on East Flamingo Road that can serve up to 94 youth.
Programs like Tea, Trends & Tranquility help fund that broader mission, which includes emergency rental assistance, a diaper bank and adult housing services.
Fundraising Meets Federal and County Dollars
Private events like this one are only part of the funding picture. Federal programs also support rehousing and supportive services in Las Vegas. Separately, Clark County secured an $8.5 million federal grant in 2024 through HUD's Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program; efforts were expected to begin the following month and would serve 15 high-need youth.
Clark County has also allocated more than $30 million toward supportive affordable housing projects, including a 50-unit development built in partnership with George Gekakis, Inc. and HELP of Southern Nevada for residents transitioning out of homelessness, according to Clark County Nevada records.
Homelessness Numbers Show Mixed Progress
The need behind these programs remains significant. The Las Vegas Sun reports that the first regional count since 2024 was conducted on January 29, 2026, after organizers skipped the survey in 2025, and found 8,859 people experiencing homelessness; chronically homeless individuals decreased 23% to 2,074 and unaccompanied homeless youth ages 18 to 24 dropped 9% to 379. Those figures illustrate why fundraisers tied to youth shelter and rental assistance programs continue to draw community attention year after year.
HELP of Southern Nevada's work has intersected with other local efforts Hoodline has covered, including a summer water drive for unhoused Nevadans and a regional push around housing vouchers. Both point to a broader network of programs that Tea, Trends & Tranquility helps sustain each September.
