"This year The Shade Tree will benefit from every home sold in every Pardee neighborhood in Southern Nevada from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day," Tuvell said. "That includes 12 new-home neighborhoods in all parts of the Las Vegas Valley."

In addition, Pardee employees are collecting gifts for The Shade Tree in lieu of an employee holiday party, and will visit the facility Dec. 23 with customer service vans full of donations as part of the company's Building Hope community outreach program.

"We appreciate such significant support from Pardee Homes," said Mike Darley, president of the board of trustees for The Shade Tree. "The economy has taken a toll and public contributions are drying up," Darley said. "It takes people like those at Pardee to help us through it."

The Shade Tree Executive Director Marlene Richter credits companies such as Pardee for helping the shelter provide its services to women and children in crisis in Southern Nevada.

"Right now we're at maximum capacity with 215 women and 110 children and we can't take any more," Richter said. "They need to stay with us longer than in the past because it is harder to find work, even for those with college degrees."

"It's truly amazing what this place does and anyone who sees it first-hand understands the importance of their mission," Tuvell said. "I urge everyone in Southern Nevada to find it in their hearts to support The Shade Tree this year and every year."

Located in downtown Las Vegas at 1 W. Owens Ave., The Shade Tree provides more than 80,000 nights of shelter each year to more than 4,100 abused and homeless women and children of this community and serves another 15,000 through day shelter.

The Shade Tree mission is to provide a safe 24-hour accessible shelter for homeless women and children in crisis in the Las Vegas area and assist them in taking their first steps toward independent living.

In addition, The Shade Tree includes Noah's Animal House to provide shelter for family pets from abusive households. The pet shelter is also at capacity and foster homes are being sought for the animals, according to Darley.

Clark County's only 24-hour accessible emergency shelter for women and mothers with children, The Shade Tree is the largest shelter of its kind in the state.

The 38,000-square-foot facility also provides services such as laundry and bathing facilities, crisis intervention, job skills development, meals and nutritional counseling, mental health referral, access to medical care, immunizations and after-school and weekend activities for the children.

Call 385-0072 for more information.