Today's meeting was opened by President Shelly and Lydia's invocation reminded us about the importance of leadership and how it binds people together. As we vote today for our 2024-2025 slate of officers, it's our job as members to provide our support, our energy and our loyalty. We appreciate all who contribute that extra big step!

Sunshine goes out to all our lovely members that we haven't seen for awhile. YOU are always in our thoughts. Also sending a big hug to Nancy M. We're with ya SISter and all will be fine. You're just "extra special" honey so hang in there and don't lose your sass! To Remi, Paula's granddog who is having surgery on May 31. Mommy Abby will take great care of you. And to our special Tery Kunibe, life member and a rock of a lady who led the way for so many things Tahoe is grateful for, keep on enjoying your lobster and sashimi!

We want to wish all of the Mothers and Mother-like people, present and gone, a very Happy Mother's Day. And did you know? The official Mother's Day holiday arose in the 1900s as a result of the efforts of Anna Jarvis, daughter of Ann Reeves Jarvis. Following her mother's 1905 death, Anna Jarvis conceived of Mother's Day as a way of honoring the sacrifices mothers made for their children.

This week was our club's Business Meeting and there is so much going on!

• Scholarship Celebration - A big shout out to ALL who made our morning so very special. We are still hearing from the students, their parents, and school staff on how amazing the morning was and how much they appreciate the support and recognition. It's amazing how a single recognition can lift and change the trajectory of a person's life. Christian Tovar is an excellent example of the power of recognition. Read about him here.
• SITS and a permanent home - We are meeting at the Recreation and Swim Center for now but always on the look out for a place that suits our weekly needs. We have a committee looking in to this. If you have suggestions, please forward them to Shelly. If you are an owner of a business that would love to host our ladies, we'd love to hear from you! shellymartinez@sitahoesierra.org. We'd need space enough for 30 fun ladies, Thursday mornings 7:30 - 8:30. It would be an awesome way to support our community efforts.
• SLATE of AMAZING OFFICERS - Well, the slate was presented and voted on, and again, thank you to all! Past President, Shelly Martinez. President, Lisa Cali. President Elect, Paula Peterson, Treasurer 2 Year, Andi Solis, Treasurer 1 Year, Lois Downey. Director 2 Year, Margie Kovarik-Maxhimer. Director 2 Year, Theresa Papandrea, Recording Secretary, Julie Cary. Corresponding Secretary, Amy Simons. Delegate 2 Year, Lydia Rogers. Delegate 1 Year, Laurie Flesher, and Regional Liaison, Jeanne Prestella.
• Celebrity Golf 2024 funds earned - The Board recommended and members approved that all funds earned which is "member hourly payment" and tips, will go into our General Fund. Our club has operating expenses (location to meet being just one!) and prices have gone up. We can allocate "tips" towards Service and keep our General business in the black. \
• FUN DATES to calendar:

1. May 13 from 4 - 8 PM at Valhalla: Dream It, Be It Workshop. All members are welcome to come and join in.
2. June 3 is the SITS Bread & Broth night. If you'd like to volunteer, contact Kim at kimvalverde@sitahoesierra.org.
3. June 6, we need ladies to help support the Mt. Tallac Prom with a dessert bar as last year. The event will be at Valhalla and we are all so excited!
4. June 7 - 9 at the Atlantis, Reno: SNR Conference. If you'd like to go, get a hold of Shelly directly. This is a fantastic opportunity for all of our members.
5. June 10 will be a Prospective Member Social (Details to follow soon) and
6. June 27 will be the Installation of Officers. This fun event will take place at the home of Wendy David at 5 PM.
7. July 4 and the SITS FLOAT: We'll be decorating the float on July 3 with a social at the Beachcomber afterwards. Jeanne is generously donating the space for that AND all are welcome to also take part in the 4th of July Fireworks there too. She has the penthouse all to us!
8. July 24 is the SIA Convention in WA. President Lisa Cali will be attending and it's here on our "ground" so an opportunity on the international level. Contact Lisa at lisacali@sitahoesierra.org for more information.

• Another big item, our fundraiser, is how our small club is able to do so much in our community. YOU, as a purchaser/sponsor/donor, are an ACTIVE part in everything we do through the many school programs, awards and scholarships, books to all youth Preppy K - 8th grade, programs such as the Drug Store Project, support to critical organizations in our community, and so much more! All of the many things that enhance the lives of women and youth. We do this because we know that when one is lifted up, we all benefit. TOGETHER we are building a better community and world. So spread the word, especially now, and let's get to raising as much money as possible! How?

Buy our raffle tickets & register to bid!

Our online AUCTION opens May 14th and closes May 24th at 5 PM. Go to www.SITS2024.com to:

• Get your Raffle tickets for 2 fabulous vacation locations. Winning tickets will be drawn on Friday, May 24th.
• Register to bid in our amazing Auction.

All the money raised goes right back into our community!

Member reminders about our fundraiser!

• If you have large AUCTION items in your home, please mark them with their auction number and deliver them to Coldwell Banker for distribution. Please drop off between 9-5 at 188 Hwy 50 in Zephyr Cove .
• If you have Raffle baskets for the Mad Hatter, please bring to Shelly to hold until the day of the Tea party.

And we'd like to do another shout out to our newly formed SITSters at Lake Tahoe Community College! These are young woman, attending LTCC who are giving back to their community. Yeah! They are helping to create some of the amazing decorations that will be at this year's Mad Hatter Tea Party at Valhalla!

And we couldn't have a morning with our a couple ROSE AWARDS! Thank you to Wendy David, Laurie Flesher, and Lydia Rogers for all the EXTRAS they provide our club.

And as an added note, Wendy is being honored at this year's Lake Tahoe Education Foundation celebration on May 16. You can secure your tickets here.

SITS Member Items & Our Projects

MEMBER Weekly Contribution or Quarterly Contribution can be paid online here! It's fast and easy! It can go through your Paypal or Credit Card. Get er dun!

Dream It Be It career support for girls to be held on May 13, 2024 at Valhalla Grand Hall.

Please email or call Shelly Martinez for more information or to register. shellymartinez@sitahoesierra.org or 530-208-8870

SITS COMMITTEE Signup Portal!

This is how we get things done.

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!

From our TECH Committee!

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

Once again NASCAR is ready to help us raise money! Standby for more information.

NASCAR DAY Giveathon has included SITS in their fundraising! Plan now for your donation on May 15 & May 15. Just follow the QR code to enhance the lives of others!

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!

Do you live or own in Tahoe? Then you're going to want to put your two-cents in about our new Multigenerational Recreation and Swim Complex! The survey has to be completed by May 13th so check it out here!

Want to get ride of those sensitive documents? Saint Theresa's church is holding their annual document shred day. Bring your stuff and let them take care of it. For more information click here.

Between Horses and Humans - Mane Event - June 1st

Join us for an unforgettable day of celebration and giving back at our Mane Event fundraiser and launch! This occasion supports Between Horses and Humans and celebrates the partnership between Untethered and Cowork Tahoe. Be part of the $35k Match program by Untethered and enjoy catering, food trucks, live music, kids' activities, a silent auction, wine raffle, and a kids' raffle. Save the date for a day of fun, community, and making a difference! Proceeds benefit Between Horses and Humans.

Click here for full details.

Western Days, June 1 from 10 - 4 PM. Fun for the whole family!

Read details here.

Marcella Foundation Partners with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Offer FREE books to Local Children

Marcella Foundation is thrilled to announce the launch of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in El Dorado County. Each month, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library will provide an age-appropriate book for each registered child, absolutely free to the family. All 8,000 children ages 0 to their 5th birthday living in El Dorado County can enroll now to receive a free monthly book. Any child in the home can register, and books are available in both English and Spanish. In a show of support for early literacy for all children in our region, First 5 El Dorado, El Dorado County Library, Friends of the Library, El Dorado Community Foundation partnered with Marcella Foundation to help launch Imagination Library. Additionally, United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra is providing the initial funding to bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to each of the communities surrounding Lake Tahoe. 

Committed to FEED, READ, and LEAD

Click here for details on how to enroll your child

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.

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

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 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 in other areas

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!