Changing Lives One Can at a Time.
A Las Vegas-born movement built on one simple belief — millions of small acts of generosity add up to something extraordinary.
Why We Exist
Our Mission
Project 1 Can exists to fight food insecurity one can at a time. We inspire everyday people — neighbors, coworkers, students, and strangers — to make one simple act of generosity a habit.
By collecting canned goods and distributing them through trusted local partners, we bridge the gap between those who want to help and the communities that need it most.
We believe that hunger is not solved by one large gesture. It is solved by millions of small ones. Project 1 Can was built on that belief.
Our Core Belief
“Remove every barrier between a person's desire to help and their ability to act — starting with one can.”
Neighbor First
We started because someone in our community was hungry. Every decision we make starts with that same person in mind.
100% Volunteer-Run
No paid staff. No overhead. Every person who shows up does it because they believe in the mission — not a paycheck.
Boots on the Ground
We don't wait for people to come to us. We knock on doors, work booths, and show up in the community — every week.
How It Started
Our History
Project 1 Can was born from personal experience. Founder Christopher Dean witnessed firsthand what it looks like when someone is hungry and doesn't know where their next meal is coming from. Those moments — quiet, human, and unforgettable — left a mark.
“I started Project 1 Can because I've seen firsthand how much a single can of food can mean to someone going through a hard time. Those moments changed the way I think about hunger, dignity, and community. I wanted to create something simple enough for anyone to be part of — because when enough people take one small action consistently, the impact becomes something powerful.”
What began as a personal conviction became a movement. Christopher set out to create an organization that didn't ask people to do more than they could — just one can. One small, consistent contribution that, when multiplied across a community, adds up to something extraordinary.
Project 1 Can launched in Las Vegas, Nevada — a city where the glittering lights of the Strip mask one of the highest rates of food insecurity in the country. Christopher chose to build Project 1 Can here because this is home — and home is where you start.
Today, Project 1 Can operates with a founding board, a growing network of community supporters, and a clear-eyed vision: to become the most accessible food drive movement in Southern Nevada and beyond.
Why It Matters
Our Impact Story
What One Can Really Means
It's easy to underestimate one can of food. It's small. It fits in the palm of your hand. It costs less than a cup of coffee. But to someone who hasn't eaten today — to a mother trying to feed her children, to a veteran sleeping rough on Fremont Street, to a senior citizen choosing between groceries and medication — that one can is a meal. And a meal is dignity.
When we ask someone to donate one can, we're not asking them to change their life. We're asking them to change someone else's — just a little. And little things, done consistently by enough people, become big things.
Working with larger established local hunger-fighting charities, Project 1 Can channels every donated can directly into the hands of people who need it — with zero waste, full transparency, and deep community trust.
Las Vegas by the Numbers
Beyond the Can Count
The impact of Project 1 Can isn't only measured in cans collected. It's measured in the conversations started. The first-time donors who discover the power of giving. The businesses that make a can drive part of their culture. The students who learn that ordinary people can solve extraordinary problems — one can at a time.
We are just getting started. And if history has taught us anything, it's that movements built on simple, repeatable acts of kindness have a way of changing everything.
Ready to be part of it?
One can. One knock. One booth. That's all it takes to start.