SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – From a seasonal shelter to an extensive nonprofit organization offering permanent housing, individual support, outreach and prevention, Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless has expanded by leaps and bounds in the 10 years it’s been in service. 

Marissa Muscat, a physician at Barton Memorial Hospital, has been around since the inception of what is now Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless (TCH).

“I was part of a group of people who were, sort of, a grassroots start for the South Lake Tahoe Warm Room which opened in December of 2015. It was a pilot experiment at that point, where we said ‘Okay, there’s a group of people in the community who want to try to create something for people experiencing homelessness,'” Muscat said.

After shopping around for vacant properties and working with the city to fit the zoning requirements in South Lake Tahoe, an overnight emergency shelter was born, open 12 hours a day, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

“You’d come in and get hot cocoa or a cup of ramen and you’d sleep on a mat on the floor,” Muscat said. “We did that for the first five years of our existence, and each year we’d try to add more services.”

One of the biggest challenges every year for those first five years was finding a place for the emergency shelter, scrambling from August to as late as November before securing a location.

“We were in five different locations those years, and each season was a struggle.”

Between landlords backing out, neighbors protesting against the shelter, and improper zoning, obstacles would appear frequently. 

Thanks to board members such as Dr. Leigh Wayne Miller and Nicole Zaborsky, TCH always found ways to overcome. 

“These two served consistently on the board, and have done everything from sleeping overnight in the Warm Room, to getting our permits, to doing all of our finances, to shoveling snow off the roof of the Bear’s Den in the winter of 2022-23,” Muscat said.

“Another person we wouldn’t be here without is Tom Makris, who was our board president through difficult financial and political times, and who led us with superhuman grace, passion and dedication,” added Muscat.

Muscat worked as the volunteer Executive Director for many years, and TCH reached greater heights, eventually implementing street outreach with a contract through the county.

“What’s amazing is in the last 10 years, the available programs in the county have grown as well, so we’ve been able to decrease homelessness for a number of people and for our county, in part, because we’re growing our resources.”

Programs now exist for domestic violence victims, disabled veterans and more. 

In 2020, TCH got a contract for Coordinated Entry, an efficient process that allows individuals to be assessed and referred to different services based on certain risk factors. 

“We do Coordinated Entry now for the entire county of El Dorado,” said Muscat, and as of their latest annual report, there have been 206 Coordinated Entry intakes.

Through a program called Project Homekey, TCH purchased three locations in South Lake Tahoe – The Bear’s Den, Red Lodge, and The Bird’s Nest. 

It’s now year 10, and hurdles for the organization consist of getting housing locations up to code, with ongoing renovations being done to ensure buildings meet the necessary requirements. 

“The city of South Lake Tahoe has been an amazing partner,” said Muscat. “They really want to help us succeed. They’ve helped partner with us on community block grants and funding to renovate The Bear’s Den.”

Once renovations are finalized, TCH will provide 72 units total.

Diane Ratcliff has recently taken over as Executive Director. 

When asked what made her want to step into the role, Ratcliff said, “My older brother was homeless, and he died on the streets in Santa Cruz. My family has really been impacted by homelessness and the loss of someone. If you look at the homeless population, they all have families or friends somewhere.”

In her past, Ratcliff served as Chief Administrative Officer at Community Solutions, a large behavioral health nonprofit in Santa Clara County, where she made huge impacts on the organization’s budget and launched innovative initiatives while tending to clients facing homelessness, domestic violence, human trafficking, and substance abuse.

Akin to Muscat and her fellow board members, Ratcliff has a deep passion for advocating for the homeless and believes she can really make a difference.

Among some of their current goals, TCH is finalizing a contract and finishing renovations for their Medical Respite Program, an objective they’ve been moving toward all year. 

“For people who have a medical health condition, it could be, you’re in the hospital with frostbite, or you’ve left the psychiatric facility, or it could be you left the jail or you have mental or substance use disorders, anyone who is experiencing those things and have recently been institutionalized, can have up to 180 days of support in our Medical Respite Program,” Muscat said. 

With all the renovations happening and extreme developments taking place, Ratcliff wants to expand the organization’s volunteer program. 

“Through volunteerism, we could really do so much. I want to start going in that direction and get the word out that we’re looking for volunteers,” said Ratcliff. 

To celebrate their milestone of 10 years in service, TCH is hosting “Faces of Homelessness”, a fundraising event taking place on November 9.

The event, occurring from 4-7 p.m. at the Galilee Episcopal Camp and Conference Center in Glenbrook, Nev., illuminates lived experiences, solidity, and hope from those who have encountered homelessness. 

“As you get to know people, you get to realize that they’re all really different,” Muscat said. “They’re just our neighbors. Most of them are people who have lived here a long time and just had a bad situation happen. I think it’s important to see them as people and not as an aggregate group that we’ve got these preconceived notions about.”

In addition to testimonials from local speakers, the keynote speaker is Dr. Catrina Grigsby-Thedford, licensed social worker, certified drug and alcohol counselor, and advocate. 

Following the presentations, there will be a silent auction and opportunities to connect with TCH staff, support and community members. 

“It’s an honor to have been able to serve people for 10 years, and to be able to keep serving people,” Muscat said.

Tickets to the fundraiser are available for purchase at http://www.mightycause.com/event/FacesofHomelessness . To learn more or to donate, visit tahoehomeless.org .