SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Celebrate Sierra Community House’s achievements on Friday, Nov. 3 with an evening of chocolate creations, wine tasting, heavy appetizers, music, and auctions at the largest fundraiser of the year. This year’s theme is Glitter and Gold.

On July 1, 2019, four well-established non-profit organizations dedicated to social services — the Family Resource Center of Truckee, North Tahoe Family Resource Center, Tahoe SAFE Alliance, and Project MANA — joined forces to create Sierra Community House. Every organization had a common goal of enhancing support for the region, utilizing collaborations to offer a smoother experience for community members in times of greatest need.

“All of those resources are at their fingertips and community members don’t have to go to four organizations telling their stories four separate times. We are at a point where the merger is proving to have worked,” said Allison Edwards, Development Director at Sierra Community House.

Sierra Community House operates as a 501c3 non-profit entity. Their objective is to enhance support for the area, pool resources, capitalize on collaborations, and link individuals and families with the necessary services to bolster the community’s strength, security, and resilience.

Since Dec. 2022, Edwards has been employed at Sierra Community House, where she is responsible for managing all fundraising efforts for the organization. Having previously worked for a larger national nonprofit for a decade, Edwards cherished her experience but was eager to transition to a position with a local nonprofit that focuses on “serving my neighbors and aiding those right here,” she said.

Sierra Community House is primarily funded through grants, with a significant portion of its 5 million dollar budget sourced from federal, state, and local grants. However, many of these grants are earmarked for specific programs, imposing restrictions on their use.

Events like the Annual Tahoe Chocolate and Wine Festival provide an additional source of unrestricted funds, allowing the organization to allocate resources where they are most urgently needed. One of our most underfunded programs is the hunger relief initiative, which is why a substantial portion of those unrestricted funds are directed toward strengthening this program.

“It’s really great that we can provide a little reprieve for families. I would love for everyone to be aware that we are here because you never know when you or someone you love will need our services,” Edwards continues, “One of our hopes is that our prevention team will put our crisis team out of business one day.”

The Annual Tahoe Chocolate and Wine Festival will be on Friday, Nov. 3 from 6-9 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa, and Casino located at 111 Country Club Drive, Incline Village. Tickets are $175. Must be 21 years or older to attend. 

Sponsorships and tickets are still available: https://one.bidpal.net/tahoechocolatefestival/welcome. For all questions, contact Allison at aedwards@sierracommunityhouse.org. 

Zoe Meyer is a reporter for the Sierra Sun, a sister publication for Tahoe Daily Tribune. She can be reached at zmeyer@sierrasun.com.