Pride Month comes and goes every June but at the RTC we stand and celebrate our LGBTQ+ community all year long, as we continue to provide public transportation for all. The same goes for the dedicated team at The Center, who work tirelessly to offer services and resources to the LGBTQ+ community of Southern Nevada. Many of their team members ride the bus to get to and from work. One client turned employee shares his experience riding transit.

Commuting for success

Jeffrey Alvarez – HIV Peer Advocate

As I sit on my seat on my commute to work on the RTC bus, I get inspired by the beautiful buildings I see— a daily reminder of why I moved to Las Vegas. To build a community center and provide resources and services where our youth can have an opportunity to prosper. The commute I initially found dreadful had become a joyful experience to dream of a future full of success.

While riding transit to my job, I started to focus on my finances. So many questions came to mind, like, how much money do I have in my savings account? How much money am I spending on my daily lunch? How many monthly subscriptions do I have, and how much does it cost me? So on my commute from my apartment to work, I created a financial plan. Once I had my budget, I moved on to execution.

The inspiration and the time I spent learning new tools while riding the RTC bus allowed me to save enough money for a car. Once I had my car, I could commute to The LGBTQ Center of Southern Nevada to access resources and services that connected me to a path of success! I was a client of The Center. Now, I have a career at The Center. I am in a place where I can learn the ins and outs of running a non-profit, and each day I get closer to the dream I had looking out of the windows of the RTC bus.