SITS News April 30, 2026

President Paula opened today’s beautiful meeting! We’re in that special spot of, do I wear a sweater or not? Here’s to Spring and all that it brings, including snow storms.

Invocation: Lydia gave us a wonderful reminder on a personal level and one for our community. We in Lake Tahoe, know that the wonderful things that happen here for our community and our environment, happen because of volunteers and others reaching out for help. We all are able to do many things on our own, but isn’t it nice, when things are rough, not to have to? Let’s do more to watch out for one another, observe what is going on, and step up to lighten the load for someone else.

Guests today included our SIRoptimister, Rick Pence and the Feed Tahoe Coordinator, Lily Summerville. Welcome!

Sunshine goes out to Cindy Wise, her family and friends. Husband Fred, recently passed away. Thank you Lydia for being a neighbor who reaches out. Thoughts of feeling better to our Nancy M. Hope to see you soon!

Sunshine also goes out to the American Legion Post 795. Our legion is working to raise funds to remain open. Help by attending their fundraisers and donating. Read about it here.

Announcements for all:

• Lisa C. is still accepting donations to the “Wine Wagon”.
• Kim and Jeanne P. are accepting auction items at Coldwell Banker so they can prepare them for distribution. If you have something that needs to be basketized, please contact Cookie!
• Please continue to request donations from our community. It translates into what our club can put back into the community. Donations go to Laurie F or can be completed by the donor directly at www.SITS2026.org.
• We still have VACA Raffle Tickets to sell. Direct interested individuals to send an email to [email protected]. We’ll take it from there. Club Chairs, please reach out to the many organizations that receive assistance from us and ask them to spread the word to their employees and participants.
• Auction needs help with Distributions after the auction closes! Please contact Jeanne at [email protected] and lend a hand. This would be to organize our items on Sat. May 1 and only involves a couple of hours. Let’s wrap this event up together!

Today’s Presentation!

It honestly does our hearts good when one of our own, who grew up here in Tahoe, returns and invests back into our Community. Sean Fannan, returned home and brought his skills in entrepreneurship and engineering skills to give back to the community where he grew up. He then gathered many like minded and talented people along for a ride that continues to develop.

Our heads are spinning from all that this group of individuals have created in a short period of time. It’s simply mind blowing and it gives the rest of us such a sense of pride and another area to put our volunteer efforts towards.

The three pillars of the Marcella Foundation for our community is continues to be Feed, Read, and Lead and their plan is so very comprehensive, that you need to take a few minutes to visit their website.

Today’s program was amazing and inspiring. We all know the work of the Marcella Foundation for their literacy goals, but many were surprised by the work they are also doing through Feed Tahoe and The Atrium.

Feed Tahoe’s mission is to rescue food, feed people, and protect the planet. They work to ensure that all surplus, delicious food in our community doesn’t go to landfill, but gets to families in our community that need it most.

Today, we were privileged to hear from two truly inspirational leaders, Melissa Uppendahl, the Executive Director of the Marcella Foundation and Lily Summerville who is the Feed Tahoe Coordinator.

Melissa was born and raised in Tahoe who ventured out into the world and decided to return home. wWith over 13 years of dedicated experience in nonprofit and government stewardship, Melissa has been a driving force in shaping the vision and direction of the Marcella Foundation since its inception. Her commitment to empowering youth through reading is exemplified by her founding of Lift Literature, a volunteer-led nonprofit that transforms children’s engagement with literature. Prior to her impactful nonprofit work, Melissa was a manager for environmental restoration projects across the beautiful Lake Tahoe region, skillfully overseeing a $25 million portfolio. Her remarkable contributions have not gone unnoticed, as she was honored with the Tahoe Chamber’s 40 under 40 award, celebrating her outstanding achievements in financial management and her service to youth in the community. With an MPA from CSU Chico and a BA in Business Administration from St. Mary’s College of California.

Lily Summerville joined the Foundation with a passion for sustainability and community engagement, and is using that to guide Feed Tahoe initiatives. After working as a California Climate Actions Corps Fellow in South Lake Tahoe focused on food waste diversion, she is transitioning to edible food recovery to help feed those in need. She graduated from the University of California, Davis with a BS in Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning, grounding her work approach in stewardship and advocacy.

Feed Tahoe’s mission is to rescue food, feed people, and protect the planet. They work to ensure that all surplus, delicious food in our community doesn’t go to landfill, but gets to families in our community that need it most. They are the logistical element of rescuing food from restaurants, markets, and big donors to the 35 different non-profits in our community who are lifting people up each and every day.

In a short period of time, one year in fact, Feed Tahoe has not only touched the lives of many in our community, but it is making a huge difference in our environment as well. Instead of food from various companies in town such as Barton Health, Fox and Hound, Stanford Sierra Camp, Edgewood Tahoe and more, going into landfills, perfectly good food is rescued and provided to agencies serving our community such as Coalition for the Homeless, Family Resource Center, Bread and Broth, LTCC, and more. Here is a fantastic video worth your time to watch.

What they have accomplished just this past year is very impressive. Volunteers are needed and for just a bit of your time, YOU can make a difference in the lives of others. Take the time to read their 2025 Annual Report.

You can also download their Feed Tahoe app through this QR code. There you can get all sorts of information and connect as a volunteer from your phone. In fact, they have an immediate need to pick up food from Stanford Sierra Camp and transported to The Tahoe Senior Plaza and Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless (both at the Y area) on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2-3 PM. It’s a beautiful drive and you’ll love pitching in! Hey, Stanford grads, this is right up your ally!

As if this isn’t enough, their latest project is The Atrium. They have taken this old building (The Barton Attic at one time and other things before that!) and are transforming this into a master plan directed at their pillars to FEED, READ, and LEAD.

The Atrium will house the Feed Tahoe program, provide for a creative community space, and develop an amazing Youth Makerspace. Geared for our high school youth this Youth Makerspace looks to foster creativity and innovation among young people, a youth makerspace provides a collaborative environment for hands-on learning.

• Offers access to tools and technology like 3D printers, robotics, and electronics.
• Encourages collaboration and teamwork through group projects.
• Provides workshops and classes to develop skills in various disciplines.
• Fosters problem-solving and critical thinking through real-world challenges.
• Supports creativity and self-expression in a safe, inclusive space.
• Engages youth in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) activities.

Melissa wrote a fabulous blog, Why the Atrium, Why Now? Take a moment to read it and sign up to receive their monthly newsletter on the progress of the project.

Thank you to everyone at Marcella Foundation. Young people taking the world by storm. We are so very lucky to have all of you. My mind is officially blown!

S Club at STHS!

KUDOs go out to the S Club Members from South Tahoe High School. They recently volunteered at Bread and Broth on Monday, April 27! S Club is a Youth Development Program with an emphasis on community involvement and volunteerism. It is co sponsored by Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe and our club, Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra. Thank you to advisors Anne and Mike Filce. We are all so very proud of you.

April is National Volunteer Month! Learn more here!

Our fundraising is in full swing!

Partner with us in any way you can as together we work to enhance the lives of women and youth in our community and around the world.

• Purchase a Vacation Stay Raffle Tickets. See a member to email our team at [email protected]. EMAIL SALES end Saturday at 5PM. Last minute sales will occur at our Mad Hatter event on Sunday if we have any left. Winners are drawn on Sunday, May 17 at 4 PM.

We have two separate raffles and we will sell only 200 tickets for each opportunity, so your odds are great! One raffle is for a beautiful condo stay at Maui Kamaole in Kihei, Maui! It is generously donated by Jean Bergner and Cookie Rork.The second raffle opportunity is an “Anywhere in the World” Timeshare, and we mean it! the winner will select from a timeshare exchange such as RCI or Interval International and choose a timeshare wherever they want to play.

• Donate items or register to bid on Our Annual Online Auction! You don’t want to miss out on this! Bidding launches on May 17 and closes at 8 PM on May 30.

COMMITTEE HAPPENINGS

We’re a busy group!

Fundraising Committee

• ONLINE AUCTION is key to the funds we provide back into our community through scholarships, books, life essentials, and so much more. Members who requested specific donors were given their hard copy letters. Register to bid!!!
• VaCa Stay Raffle! Thanks to the Bergners, Prestellas, and Rorks, we again are selling vacation stay raffle tickets as a big part of our fundraising. Tickets are $50 each and only 200 will be sold for either an “Anywhere in the World” timeshare (thanks Jeanne), or a beautiful condo on Maui (thanks Cookie and Jean). Selling all tickets can net our club $20,000 for the work that we do in the community. Two lucky winners will be drawn at our Mad Hatter event at Valhalla on May 17!. Want to see what we’re talking about? Here’s a video on the Maui Condo.
• Donations continue to come in at Sits2026.org. We need our business community to donate items or certificates! We’d also love for talented people to donate some of their creativity for experiences!!! Are you an expert baker who would create a class for a small group? Craftsman who can build and donate a cool birdhouse or mailbox? Pitch in however you can.

Funds we raise together transform into awards, scholarships, housing, food, basic needs, books, backpack supplies, and so much more!

Healthy Women Healthy World

• Is organizing a Monthly Movement series. Each will take place following our business meetings around 9 am. Join us and bring a friend! May 14, and June 11….activities will be announced.

Technology Committee

• Is available to our ladies to learn more about our google account, our mail, and whatever else you need to help you be more efficient. Technology isn’t a fad, so get the amazing assistance that you need! Get a hold of one of the ladies at [email protected]

SITS Member Reminders

Quarterly Member Dues for April -June and Happy Dollars: These funds are how we pay for our overhead expenses, so they are very important. Thanks to our Tech team and Treasurers, we continue to evolve into the most efficient payment and accounting methods. Use THIS LINK or QR Code to PAY YOUR WEEKLY, QUARTERLY, or YEARLY DUES AND HAPPY DOLLARS! *Be sure to use the drop down menu on the service charge and click “Other”, then type in “0”. You will not pay a service fee in doing this.

SITS Committee Signups~ Go to our signup listing site for this year of fun committee options here!

NEWS team schedule signups here!

Our Soroptimist apparel line is ready for purchase! Liz Prestella’s Torq’d clothing line for women is our supporter of this endeavor. Members and appreciators of SITS are now able to purchase apparel and items from her website. See what items are offered and to order go here. Thank you to the SITS team and to Torq’d for all of the hard work.

SOROPTIMIST CONFERENCES!

• SNR conference celebrating 50 years from June 5-7, 2026, in Reno.
• Biennial Soroptimist International conference will be held in Incheon, South Korea from July 22-25, 2026.

NON-SITS

Fun and Opportunities in Tahoe

There’s actually so much going on so you’re going to want to check out the EVENTS tab on www.southtahoenow.com, but here’s a few to get you started!

May 2, 2026! Get your tickets now and support the Tahoe Ballet & Performing Arts Foundation!

Soroptimist International of the Sierra Foothills are inviting you to their Annual Garden Tour. May 16th and 17th in the Grass Valley area. There will be 7 gardens to tour, and one will feature an amazing Garden Shop with a variety of homemade items and Raffle baskets for bidding. Visit www.sierrasoroptimist.org for more info.

Tahoe Alliance for Safe Kids is working with the schools to promote bike safety and also to come up with new rules for school cell phone use.

Community Safety Tidbit: South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue is linked into a program purchased by El Dorado County. It’s the SMART911 program. Go https://ready.edso.org and create an account. Emergency services can gain important information on your home and who is in it as they are responding. You can provide as much or as little information as you want. Things like an elderly parent, pets, family members, Oxygen tanks in the home, etc., help first responders help you. Please take the time to check it out and SHARE.

Vista Rise Collective (previously Live Violence Free) is always looking for volunteers. There are many opportunities, for both direct and indirect services. Cash donations are always welcome, but every Tuesday they accept non cash donations such as furniture, clothing, etc. For more information about volunteering, donations and/or services provided click here.

PETAL KINDNESS is a non-profit organization that rescues flowers to uplift others and helps divert green waste from landfills. They are in desperate need of vases. Drop them off at 2941 Lake Tahoe Blvd. Leave behind wooden pallet wall.

Petal Kindness rescues these flowers from the landfill and provides them to non-profits, hospitals, senior centers, and community-based organizations to bring comfort, joy, and healing to our local community members. Donations and volunteers are always needed!

Blood donations are desperately needed . Please see details here and make your appointment today!

Looking for up to date resources in our community? Barton Health has a list for all of us and it is actively updated! SHARE this link with others!

ALL YEAR LONG!

LTCC Basic Needs Center is looking for food donations. A variety of foods and basic need items are on the list. Click here for full list and drop off details

If you’d like to donate through our club, please bring your donations to the monthly business meeting and Lisa C. or Andie will make sure they are delivered to the college. Please include an estimate on the value as LTCC needs to keep records of that information.

South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue has a quarterly newsletter to keep us all updated on fire safety info. Their goal is to help people learn about the fuels reduction products they are working on, seasonal fire safety info and other fire dept related news. Click here to sign up for the newsletter

Saint Joseph Community Land Trust has changed their Motel to Home (MTH) program from a loan program to a grant program and we’re hoping this will attract families living in substandard housing, who would like to live in a more permanent and adequate home. Please click here for more details

Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless seeks community support in keeping people cared for.

Our South Shore community has been able to sleep better knowing that our homeless population has an indoor option. This winter season marked the 10th anniversary of the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless (TCH) providing warm beds to the most vulnerable in our community.

The office hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 12-4 at the Red Lodge, 1137 Emerald Bay Rd.

More details here

Between Horses and Humans continues to grow! If you’re a lover of youth and a lover of horses, this is a program for you! You can keep up on their information by reading their newsletters here! Volunteers and donations are always needed. BHH Update-they are soon relocating to the Amacker Ranch!

Food Assistance Guide for So. Lake Tahoe. If you know of anyone in need, please share this information. Click and print!