SITS News October 8, 2026

Today’s well attended meeting was opened by President Lois at the Lisa Maloff Center. It was so great to see everyone!

Today’s invocation by Lydia referenced Last Meals, a television series hosted by Josh Scherer, in which celebrities share their ultimate last-meal choices while reflecting on food, life, and personal experiences.

The message encouraged us to think about how busy and multitasking our lives have become. We accomplish so much each day, but it raises an important question: “Are we being deliberate with the time we have left?”

We often measure our days by how much we accomplish, how many tasks we complete, or how many responsibilities we fulfill. But are the things keeping us busy truly the things that matter most?

Perhaps we should take a moment to reflect on how we spend our time, the choices we make, and the intentions behind our actions. Are we making time for the people we care about, the causes we believe in, and the experiences that bring meaning to our lives?

Life is happening in the present moment. While we cannot control how much time we have left, we can choose how we use the time we have.

So, ask yourself: In this moment, how are you spending your time? And is it bringing meaning, purpose, and joy to your life and to the lives of others?

Guests today included Lori Thorne for the last time as next week she becomes a member! And our friend, Ernie Claudio. Thank you both for joining us. And to those ladies not able to join us today, we miss you!

Sunshine: Good healing thoughts to all of those facing challenges right now with health, loss of family, and struggling times.

Reminder about President Office Hours! Check the member calendar for Fridays President Lois is holding office hours from 9-10 AM.

Special Thank YOU to both Wendy David and Shelly Martinez for hosting Monday nights, New Member evening. This was a casual get together for Donna and Lori as they are both joining our club. We spoke about what it is to be a Soroptimist and how our club operates. And of course, we shared snacks and libations and laughs. We are so excited to have both of you coming along on our adventure.

Today’s speaker was a community favorite, Tere (Teresita) Tibbetts! Originally from Havana, Cuba, our dear friend found her way to the States where she obtained a BS from Trinity College in Washington, D.C. She found her way to Lake Tahoe where she and hubby, Malcolm raised a family. She’s a proud mom of two and grandma of four and she’s fortunate to be able to see some of her grandkids raised right here in Tahoe. She taught at STHS for 20 years and was is an adjunct teacher at LTCC. In fact, next year marks her 50th year at working with the college’s ESL population.

Tere has a long history in education at all different levels here in South Lake Tahoe and she remains a strong influence for our Hispanic community members. 14 years ago, Tere decided to see if there was an interest in a Spanish Book Club among the Hispanic women members of our community. She wasn’t sure how many would participate, but she wanted to provide the opportunity. She bought books and set up a meeting hoping some would show up. Well, that opportunity was seized by a dozen women and they continue to participate in this fabulous group to this day.

Tere spent time sharing the different books the ladies have been reading over the years. The books are usually of historical fiction providing for interesting reading and more in depth conversation. Each of the reads circle back to how the characters and situations apply to today. When she began this group she purchased all of the books herself. You can imagine the cost with a dozen participants at ten books annually! A few years into the project one of our members brought this to our attention. It was at that point that SITS began to provide Tere with some of the funds and it continues to be an important project for our club.

She began this group by reading smaller books as she wasn’t sure of the spanish reading levels of the participants. She settled on a three part series by author, Francisco Jimenez. This autobiographical series,“Cajas de Cartón,” (Cardboard Boxes), “Senderos Fronterizos,” (Borderland Trails), and “Más allá de mí” (Beyond Myself) takes readers from his life as a 4 year old boy in the fields of California to the sacrifices his family made to ensure he was the first to attend college. Today he is the Emeritis Professor of Spanish at Santa Clara College.

Another favorite author of the group is Maria Duenas. Two of her works, “Por si un día volvemos” (If One Day We Return) and “O tempo entre costuras”, (The Seamstress) were highlights as they had strong women as the lead characters.

Those of us in book clubs know it’s not just about the book, it’s about the community you develop as you journey together through the pages. These women have watched each other’s kids as they have grown up. Several of these ladies have obtained their own educational goals, some working now within our schools. Tere noted the remarkable satisfaction in knowing that the young children of these women are now young adults, many in and out of college, off doing remarkable things. These young people saw their moms reading and committing to something and they followed suit. That’s exciting.

Another exciting thing is that Tere is beginning a second book club this month out of the SLT Family Resource Center. Cafecitos will meet following the guest speaker series that FRC hosts each month. She’s going to be working with another young group of moms and the sky is the limit!

Thank you Tere for the large impact you’ve had on the women in our community. And thank you for the beautiful bookmarks!

If you’d like to contribute funds to Tere’s efforts, please speak with one of the SITS members. We can get funds to her.

SITS Member

General Reminders

Quarterly Member Dues for Oct. – Dec. are now due. These funds, in addition to Happy Dollars, 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 will be the focus of a fundraiser in October at Cascade Kitchens. Mark your calendars for Friday, October 16th, and bring friends! See the flyer below!

October 29th will be our SITS Halloween Party at our regular meeting time.

Nov. 8th will be our SITSgiving at Laurie Flesher’s home, 4 p.m. Members, check your email for specific information and sign up link. SITSters and MrSters are invited, max 30 people.

Nov. 11 is a proposed joint Clothing Exchange with the noon group (SISLT) from 5-7 at the STAR building. Bring clothes, accessories, and table linens to exchange. Also bring snacks to share. This is a social time as we love those! All items that remain will be donated to Vista Rise.

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.

COMMITTEE HAPPENINGS

We’re a busy group!

Committee formations are happening NOW! We are asking that all members, even those unable to make the morning meetings, signup for one General and one Service Committee. Much work can be accomplished on your schedule! SIGNUP HERE!

Attention ALL Committees

• Service and Fundraising Budgets are due Oct. 22.

Newsletter Committee

• Signup for your week here ladies!
• Reminder to ladies who zoom in, you too can help with this committee! We’d love to have you join us. SITSzoom.com

SNR, SIA, and SI News Corner

SITS is a part of something BIG!

Sierra Nevada Region

Soroptimist International of the Americas

Soroptimist International

SNR

• Fall District 5 Meeting will be hosted by SI Quincy on October 10, 2026. Sign up now with President Lois.There is still room and you’ll return in time to get to Tahoe Dancing with the Stars!

SI Fallon is having their fundraiser and some of our ladies are attending! Oct 17.

SI South Lake Tahoe’s, “Hooray for Hollywood” fundraiser is Friday, Nov.6 : Wine, beer and food gala presented by Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe. Golden Nugget on Friday, Nov 6 5:30-9:30pm. Tickets $100. You must be 21 years old to attend. Details and ticket purchases here.

SIA and SI

Best for Women magazine here.

23rd Soroptimist Int’l 2027 convention is in Prague Sept.29-Oct. 1, 2027. Registration is now open here.

Learn about Advocacy for Women and Girls here.

NON-SITS Events

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 are a few to get you started!

Join the Lake Tahoe Historical Museum on Sat. Oct. 10, 10 AM – 4 PM for the opening of the Osgood Toll House!

Join Tahoe Arts Project on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 5:30 PM for Dancing with the Tahoe Stars!

Volunteers are needed to help tidy up the Soroptimist Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 17 from 12:30 – 4:30.

Support Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless from your couch! You can donate directly here!

Lake Tahoe’s Documentary Film Festival

is going on the road! For Tickets to the Fall Best of Fest Screening Tour go to ltdff.org/fall-best-of.

At Valhalla Tahoe, you can enjoy a fantastic play Oct. 22 – Nov 4, The Revolutionists. Set during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror, The Revolutionists is a bold, fast-paced comedy about four remarkable women trying to change the world while trying not to lose their heads.

Support and Volunteer Opportunities for our Community!

!The Tahoe Women’s Community Fund is a collective giving organization created in 2015. Through a simple grant making process, the annual proceeds from membership provide financial support to nonprofits that address pressing issues facing the communities of Lake Tahoe. Read more about this organization here and consider joining! Huge impacts are being made and there are no meetings!

Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless

Seeks community support in keeping people cared for.

Todays pressing need is: men’s clothing, especially things that are business casual for folks to wear to work or to interviews. Also all sizes of socks and underwear.

They can be dropped off M-F 9a-4p at the Red Lodge 1137 Emerald Bay Rd

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

Rotary Mobility Program

Rotary of South Lake Tahoe is asking the community to help expand its Rotary Mobility Program. The club is seeking donations of wheelchairs, knee scooters, canes, walkers with seats, and shower chairs.. Donations of gently used mobility and medical equipment are appreciated. Rotary Mobility is a free community program. Community members interested in donating equipment or learning more about the program are encouraged to contact David Kurtzman at 530-545-3283.

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. They are also constantly involved in actively working to reduce drug and alcohol use among our kids.

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

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!