Good morning to ALL!

President Elect Lisa Cali opened our meeting today.. thank you for standing in for Shelly!

Guests - We welcomed Laurie Flesher's husband Prakash today.

Sunshine - Healthy healing sunshine to our SITSters Julie C, Amy and Lois.. and Lisa C husband.. all for speedy recoveries. Continued thoughts for Tom Davis too

Jenny Hatch - Executive Director of the Sierra Nevada Alliance, has been leading conservation work, in collaboration with diverse partners, for over twenty years. Raised in the Sierra, Jenny earned a B.A. in Conservation Biology from the University of Nevada, Reno, in 2001. While in college, Jenny served two terms with AmeriCorps. Her career background includes work in watershed restoration, wildlife and conservation biology, horticulture as a Master Gardener, initiating the Aquatic Invasive Species prevention and control projects for Lake Tahoe, fisheries, working with recreational interests, policy and advocacy. Jenny balances her leadership role at the Alliance with mothering three children and many community volunteer commitments. Her hobbies include painting, yoga, playing and seeing live music with her husband, biking, trail running, skiing, traveling, and enjoying anything outdoors.

One of the ways to think about the Sierra Nevada Alliance is like a portal to all conservation organizations and efforts in the region for the whole mountain range.

They've been around for over 30 years and are an alliance of the conservation community. They bring together all the conservation organizations. Sierra Nevada Alliance website

Primary programs are targeting healthy forest, water shed, landscape conservation and sustainable recreation.

Sustainable recreation programs are newer and this was the second year of the Lake Tahoe ambassador program.

SNA partners with Americorps on a national service and environment program and work on a number of projects - here is an example

SNA may be one of the most important conservation organizations but the least known right in terms of its impact.

They continue to grow their programs especially with new tribal partners.

Partnering with Take Care Tahoe they bought the graphic rights to expand the campaign to the whole Sierra so that the whole Sierra is branded consistently.

So if you would like to get involved there are a number of ways. Sponsor an event, donate, volunteer as well as being a host site for one of the workforce programs.

So if you want to stay in touch or get involved with what environmental things are going on you can go to their website and Click here to subscribe to the Sierra Nevada Alliance newsletter

There are far too many programs and details to cover here so please go to their website and look at all they do.

You can also see the slide presentation here

REMINDER TO FUN LADIES EVERYWHERE! Looking for something to put your heart into this year? Interested in hanging out with fun and hard working women? Then join us at our meeting from 7:30 - 8:30 AM on Thursdays at the SLT Senior Center. It's a great way to begin your morning!

SITS Member Items & Our Projects

From our TECH Committee!

If you need tech help, contact: techhelp@sitahoesierra.org

For anyone who wants extra, hands on, help, with all that's going on in town and the holidays, Laurie F will provide a personal, private tech lesson for you! Simply contact our SITSter and she'll get you in the know! Please check your "SITS Calendar" and make sure you can access it, if not, call or email Laurie.

First SITS social of 2024

- Chart House - January 24th from 4pm - whenever we run out of things to talk about!!

From our HWHW Committee!

Our Club will be supporting St. Theresa's Bread and Broth program again this year. Our first opportunity will be on February 12th. We will be teaming up with Lasagna Love to provide the funding, lasagna and workers for the night. SITS is requested to have 3-5 Adopt A Day crew members (minimum age of 14) and they will be needed at St. Theresa's Grace Hall from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. to help the B&B volunteers with the meal's setup, serving, and cleanup. Mark your calendars, this is a wonderful way to help our communities' less fortunate and create camaraderie with your SITSters. We currently have 4 volunteers, if you are interested in being the 5th, please reach out to Kim to sign up as a crew member ASAP.

From the MIDDLE SCHOOL PROJECT COMMITTEE: This year, this committee, in addition to supporting the Challenge Day and Challenge Day Assembly also instituted an Essay contest. We received 50 Essays from the kids on what Challenge Day meant for them. What a wonderful way to help kids reflect on the change they can make in the world and in their fellow students lives.

The Fundraising committee will be meeting on January 31st at the Coldwell Banker office in Zephyr Cove at 4 pm. Everyone interested is invited to attend. .

Healthy Women, Healthy World committee has a meeting scheduled for February 1st at the Coldwell Banker office in Zephyr Cove at 4 pm. A zoom link will be provided for those who can't make it in person.

Education Committee: Shelly is coordinating once again a Senior Project Reception on January 26th at the High school and needs volunteers to make 2 dozen cookies.. Also, if you'd like to join her at the reception, please get in touch with Shelly.

The Live Your Dream committee has received club approval to offer 3 Live Your Dream Awards to worthy applicants. Join us on March 21st when these awards will be given out.

SITS COMMITTEE Signup Portal!

Our SITS club and all that we do are driven by the committees that we maintain. All members are asked to join at least ONE Service Committee and ONE Technical Committee. Service is what we do and Technical is how we roll! Please signup for your committees here. And remember, you are not limited to participating in any of the fun. YOU can attend any committee meeting or event!

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!

It's time to nominate and select our SITS Ruby awardee for this year.

Below is the Ruby Award description from SIA (Soroptimist of the Americas)

The Soroptimist Ruby Award honors women who, through their professional or personal efforts, are making extraordinary differences in the lives of women or girls. Honorees are women who work or volunteer to improve the lives of other women or girls. Their efforts have had a significant impact, and also inspire and encourage other women.  

The Ruby winner will receive $400 for herself and $400 to the organization of her choosing. She will be celebrated at our Awards breakfast meeting on March 21 (with our GIVE and LYD recipients)

If you know of a woman you'd like to bring forward, please let me know by Feb. 1 so that I can get the information to all of you prior to our Feb. 8 business meeting when we will discuss. Please also send me a description of reasons for the nomination.

Thanks so much in advance,

Nancy Muller

Chair

Awards Committee

The Tahoe Institute for Natural Science is sponsoring several outings in January. For more information on how to sign up for these events click here.

·   January 19 - Sierra Valley Raptor Tour - Sierra Valley, CA

·   January 24 - Nordic in Nature with TRTA - Spooner Lake, NV

·   January 25 - Full Moon

·   February 2 - Carson Valley Raptor Tour - Carson Valley, NV

Volunteers needed for Point-In-Time count of homeless in South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County - January 25th - Full Details click here

South Tahoe High School SENIOR PROJECT JUDGING: We would like to invite you to judge the single class of Senior Projects. We will have our usual June presentations later this school year but for now, we have a class of 35 excited seniors who need some judges to present to and we would love to have you. It is a very easy and positive program.

This term's presentations are on January 26, 2024. Arrival time to STHS is between 1:45pm and 2:00pm with a start time of 2:15pm.

We need around thirty judges this term so if you are interested or know anyone who would like to see our young adults and their final project, please email us at seniorproject@ltusd.org! 

South Lake Tahoe High School

Senior Project Coordinator

1735 Lake Tahoe Boulevard

South Lake Tahoe, California 96150

Alias Brass

In Schools February 5-9, 2024

Public Performance Friday February 9th 6:30 PM

LTCC Duke Theater 

Admission at Doors: $10 Adults $5 Children

Doors Open at 6pm

Click here for more details

Click here for flyer

Important information for your family from TASK (Tahoe Alliance for Safe Kids)

A Guide to Healthy and Responsible Practices for Families During the Holidays.

This month TASK www.tahoesafekids.com has collaborated with our partners at Barton Health to share a guide for responsible holiday practices around substances. Aislynn Soave, the Substance Use Navigator at Barton, has put together some tips for parents and children to remember during this holiday season.

Click here for the full article

How would you like to make 100x the difference with your donation!

Great way to spend your donation tax deduction dollars or make a huge difference donating on someone's behalf for Christmas!

Click here for full details and to donate

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 Learning Haven - Click here for all their information and a link to each month's newsletter.

League to Save Lake Tahoe's Keep Tahoe Blue Volunteer Portal!

For all of those who want to help keep our Lake Tahoe prestene, here's a portal which you can now see the events and programs which are available to volunteer for! SHARE this with your family and friends! Portal here!

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 seventh anniversary of the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless (TCH) providing warm beds to the most vulnerable in our community.

They are also in great need for warm clothing items and will accept donations at their office

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

More details here

Bread and Broth needs volunteers for Mondays and Fridays:

 Thank you so much for your current or past involvement with the Bread & Broth organization. Without you, our food outreach services which help ease hunger for hundreds of our community neighbors would not be possible.

Currently, Bread & Broth needs individuals who would be interested in assuming leadership roles in the organization.

Bread & Broth’s Advisory Board is seeking an individual for the position of board Secretary. B&B’s Advisory Board meets quarterly, and the Secretary is responsible for recording the meeting minutes and ensuring that all documentation from the meeting is compiled and filed with the meeting minutes. 

Bread & Broth’s Second Serving (weekly Friday meals served at the LT Community Presbyterian Church) serves a simple entrée and a hot soup which are provided by various local community restaurants. Currently B&B is seeking 2 to 3 individuals to coordinate and pickup soups from restaurants and deliver them to the Presbyterian Church on Fridays. The soup coordinator is responsible for interfacing with the existing list of restaurant soup providers to schedule soup donations and drivers are needed to go on Fridays and pick up soup from the week’s designated soup provider. 

Second Serving is also looking for assistant cooks to support the Lead Cooks at their Friday meals from approximately 2 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. once a month. The meals are simple entrées like meatloaf, pasta dishes, and sloppy Joes.

For those of you with leadership skills, B&B is looking for individuals to train as Lead Assistants for the Monday Meal dinner (2:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.) and the B&B 4 Kids program (Thursdays from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m.) Training is provided and you will be assisting the Team Leads in overseeing and managing the duties of the team volunteers. Lead Assistants are assigned to a Team that volunteers once per month.

If you are interested any of the volunteer positions mentioned above, please contact Carol Gerard at 310-256-1019 or carolsgerard@aol.com

Blood Donations are Needed!

Our Nation continues to have a blood shortage everywhere. Giving blood is giving life. So GIVE!

Vitalant Blood Donations. Click here to find a blood draw near you!

Wed - Mon Carson City Vitalent Donation Center

256 Winnie Lane, Carson City, NV.

Click here to find more dates and locations

Upcoming Blood Drive Locations

Friday, 01/19/2024

Tahoe Douglas Fire District - Kahle Center Tallac Activity Room

236 Kingsbury Grade Road

STATELINE, NV, 89449

Open 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Get Directions

Saturday, 01/20/2024

CA Whole Foods South Lake Tahoe - Bloodmobile

3600 Lake Tahoe Blvd

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA, 96150

Open 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Get Directions

Monday, 01/22/2024

South Lake Tahoe Fire Department - SLTF Training Center

1195 Rufus Allen Blvd

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA, 96150

Open 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

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!