STPUD employees give back to community

On Dec. 20, 40 local residents had their Christmas brightened as a vanload of presents was delivered by South Tahoe Public Utility District employees to the El Dorado County mental health program. Specifically to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of South Lake Tahoe, an alliance of individuals and families who have banded together to assist mental health patients in obtaining treatment, housing, support, and to fight the stigma associated with mental illness, coordinated the event.

Many of these clients have serious mental illness challenges that make even day-to-day existence a struggle. Each District employee and their families “adopted” a client and filled their personalized Christmas wish lists.

Due to medical confidentiality requirements, District employees are not able to meet face to face with the recipients. Instead, a counselor delivers the gifts to each person, either during a counseling session or by making individual trips to their homes.

According to one program counselor, the home deliveries are the most heartwarming as they are able to see firsthand how these brightly wrapped gifts brought such happiness to an otherwise uneventful Christmas season.

This is the 12th year district employees have participated in the “Adopt and Angel” program and each year the program is more successful than the last. Everything from microwave ovens to slippers was delivered. In addition to NAMI, District employees have been strong supporters of Christmas Cheer for many years.