Letter: Warm room thankful for support, to close soon

To the community,

Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless (TCH) hosted an open house on Feb. 15 at the South Lake Tahoe warm room.  The event honored the South Shore’s faith community for their support since the organization’s inception. 

In addition to thanking the entire faith community at the event, TCH gave special recognition to the Rev. Hillary Bittman of Unity at the Lake, the Rev. Mauricio Hurtado of St. Theresa Catholic Church, the Rev. Robert C. Kelley of Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian Church, and Rabbi Evon Yakar of Temple Bat Yam for their extraordinary support.   

We would not be operating at the level we are today without the support of South Lake Tahoe’s religious institutions. Local faith-based organizations have helped us to raise funds, collect supplies, recruit volunteers, promote awareness, and facilitate our operations.

TCH has announced that the warm room will close on the morning of April 1.  The warm room opened for the season this year on Christmas Eve at the Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian Church.

“All of our staff and volunteers have done an incredible job coming together this season,” said Annie Davidson, a TCH board member and the organization’s volunteer coordinator. “Even though the winter this season was not as severe as last season, there have been periods of extended cold and snow that would have been extremely challenging for anyone without shelter.” 

Although the Warm Room will be closing, our staff and volunteers will continue to engage with the homeless community year round in order to assist with housing and provide access to resources.

TCH is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Donations are welcomed to aid in funding the warm room and TCH’s other operations. Donations made payable to Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless can be mailed to PO Box 13514, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151. Donations can also be made online.

Marissa Muscat, TCH executive director