In Remembrance of The Rev. Bonnie Polley
Our beloved The Rev. Bonnie Polley was ordained a Deacon at Christ Church Episcopal in 1982 and served others with passion and compassion, especially the hungry, the homeless, the distressed, the imprisoned, and those in need or viewed as “less than” by society. Though small in stature, she radiated God’s love to all those she met. Her list of accomplishments in the service of God and the Las Vegas community is long, and it’s no exaggeration to say that her work literally touched the lives of tens of thousands of people over four decades. While we mourn her loss, let us celebrate her exemplary life and give thanks for her presence among us, for surely she is now in the arms of our Lord and Savior. Bonnie was featured in the Las Vegas Review-Journal in 2020.
Bonnie’s life work includes:
- Served as chaplain of the Clark County Detention Center for 40 years
- Co-founded the Shade Tree Shelter for abused women and children
- Started the food pantry at Christ Church Episcopal
- Expanded the food pantry and created the non-profit Epicenter on the Parkway
- Championed the needs of others with Nevadans for the Common Good
- Served as President of the standing committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada
- Created “David’s Digs” (honoring her late husband David Polley) which provided showers, laundry, and mail services for the homeless
- Lead practically every community outreach effort of Christ Church Episcopal for four decades
- Served in various capacities on many retreat weekends such as Cursillo, Kairos, Search, and Via de Cristo.
Donation of Remembrance
In remembrance of The Rev. Bonnie, please donate to her nearly 40-year outreach project, the Epicenter on the Parkway. The Epicenter (Episcopal Church Center) began in 1984 when the Community Food Bank of Southern Nevada, now known as Three Square, asked Christ Church Episcopal to become a distribution site of non-perishable food items in the 89104 zip code. Through Bonnie’s guidance and oversight, the small food pantry grew, and in March of 2006 incorporated as Epicenter on the Parkway, a non-profit 501(c)(3). Their mission is simple: provide emergency food assistance to individuals and families in need. Epicenter also partners with other non-profit agencies to provide additional food, shelter, and clothing resources for the most vulnerable in our community. In recent years, we have been honored to receive formal recognition for “excellence in service” by other agencies and community partners.
2020 Community Impact
- Food Pantry: 18,000 individuals were provided with fresh and non-perishable food assistance.
- Amazing Grace: 4,160 ready-to-eat meals were provided to men and women experiencing homelessness.
- David’s Digs: 920 showers provided, 265 loads of clothes washed, and more than 3,500 pieces of mail received for those experiencing homelessness.