2020. I think we’re all ready for it to be over and to be turning a new page with a brighter future ahead. On GivingTuesday this year I have decided to promote just a few nonprofits to urge you to donate to. There are many amazing nonprofits to support in the Tahoe Truckee Community that cover a lot of territory. This year, however,  I have focused on the following nonprofits because either their beneficiaries are in greater need due to COVID-19 or their revenue stream has been sharply depleted because of the pandemic.

Sierra Community House

Formerly 4 different nonprofits, Tahoe SAFE Alliance, Family Resource Center of Truckee, North Tahoe Family Resource Center, and Project MANA have joined forces and merged to become Sierra Community House.The merge gives better access to more services for those in need. The provide hunger relief, domestic violence and crisis intervention, legal counseling, immigration aid and family strengthening programs. The global pandemic  has caused a slow down in the economy and has increased the need for food assistance. In addition the social impacts of the pandemic have caused greater stress and in some cases isolation which can increase rates of domestic violence, child abuse and other crisis’. The communities the Sierra Community House serves are in even greater need this year.

Sierra Community House also strives to provide family support. One of these programs  is the “Family Room” at Truckee Elementary School. Open to all, the “Family Room”  is a free drop-in preschool-like experience for children 3 and under . They sing songs during circle time in Spanish and English, have play time, and often a craft. The teachers also offer parents guidance in facilitating educational play with their children.  It offers enriching and engaging experiences, and social interaction. It also benefits the mental health of new parents who might be staying at home full or part time as well because it provides social interaction and enriching experiences for both their children and them. The “Family Room” is a benefit to all demographics in the North Tahoe Truckee community. Due to it’s offering as a free program it also greatly benefits many low-income families who might not otherwise have that opportunity.  The Family-Room has not been able to be open this year and hopefully they will be able to continue supporting our families again in the future.

The merging of the 4 non-profits into 1 has impacted so many people on so many levels in the North Tahoe/Truckee communities and needs support to continue its work Donate to Sierra Community House

Truckee Roundhouse Makerspace

Normally reserved for a more urban community with larger populations to serve, a “makerspace” is a rare find in a small town. The Roundhouse is culmination of  astounding ideas come to life. You can attribute its’ existence to the remarkable array of talented people we are surrounded by in our little mountain town.  To have this asset at our disposal is truly a gift to our community. The “makerspace” is a community operated shop that is available for use through membership, has volunteers on hand to help people learn new skills and also offers community classes. They have multiple shops in the space; wood, metal, ceramics, textiles, and technology. Each shop has both a basic set of tools one might expect in such a facility, as well as some specialty machines that make the Roundhouse unique, such as a CNC plasma cuter. As with many experiential entities, COVID-19 has deeply impacted their revenue stream and the future of the Roundhouse is currently in question. A donation would go far in helping secure the continuation of this unique community asset. It is a big-town amenity in a small town that we are lucky enough to benefit from. Consider donating to help give the space a future Donate to the Truckee Roundhouse

Kidzone Children’s Museum

Truckee Tahoe kids are so fortunate to have such an amazing resource as the Kidzone Children's Museum. Play is often an overlooked imporant developmental building block.  Kidzone nurtures children's imagination and desire to learn through all sorts of play, science, and art based activities. They also provide scholarships for underprivileged families which has turned Kidzone into a sanctuary and escape for many of those. On many winter days the Kidzone has to turn people away because they are at maximum capacity! Your donation helps run the day-to-day, fund scholarships, and fundraise for the expansion of the Kidzone into a larger space which will enable them to serve even more families. This is another one of those big-town amenities we are fortunate enough to have in our small town. They have been unable to re-open since the onset of COVID-19 and their fundraising goals are suffering due to a lack of revenue stream. If you normally would have visited the Kidzone please consider donating this year instead. Donate to the Kidzone Children’s Museum

The Season of Giving

202o has given plenty of opportunities to look long and hard at what is truly important. Giving Tuesday is a wonderful reminder of what the true spirit of the holiday  season is.  I encourage you to make a contribution to any nonprofit that resonates with you.