Letter: Financial support helps TCH
To the community,
Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless is grateful to Mechanics Bank for a corporate donation of $2,500. Founded in 1905, Mechanics Bank provides personal banking, business banking, trust and estate services, brokerage and wealth management services throughout California. They invests in the same communities in which they live and work.
“As a community bank, Mechanics Bank is pleased to support Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless, as we feel that homelessness and access to housing is one of the most pressing issues today in our community,” states Randal W. Stoller, senior vice president and chief of residential mortgage lending.
The South Lake Tahoe Warm Room completed its third season on April 1. The warm room was open 98 nights, serving 109 individuals. Two families with children were provided temporary shelter in motels. Thirteen veterans stayed in the warm room, with two finding housing, one finding employment, and two reconnecting with out-of-state family with whom they chose to return this winter. Twenty-seven percent of guests were employed during their stay in the warm room. Nineteen guests found long-term housing with TCH’s support last winter, and only six individuals have used the warm room all three seasons. Since inception, the warm room has been open 337 nights, providing 7370 shelter bed-nights.
Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless continues to operate after the Warm Room closes. Right now, our staff continues to perform coordinated entry, street outreach and case management at community locations throughout South Lake Tahoe. Our board and volunteers are at work all year doing strategic planning, planning fundraisers, picking up litter, writing grants.
Donations can be made online or mailed to PO Box 13514, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151. For questions about our operations, contact me at tahoewarmroom@gmail.com.
Marissa Muscat, TCH executive director
I was astonished to see the statistics provided by your organization:
87% are local residents (based on previous reported residence)
26% are employed
Our Community really needs to have a discussion on housing options. Others have talked about a small home options. I have heard talk about converting older motels. Better long term options for those with kids other than temporary motel rooms should also be in our discussions. We should all wonder if more rental properties were in our inventory if a few of these working homeless might not be self supporting. Our City should be encouraging construction of smaller affordable housing units and not mega mansions to be used as VHRs.
We must applaud all who help support your cause. I went to the opening of the warm room this past season and was hearted to see the support by our many local churches. We have a moral obligation to do something.
Thank you for your good works!
-Scott Ramirez