Overland Meat & Seafood pays it forward once again - Tacos for Tahoe giveaway

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Seven hundred people will be the recipients of the next Overland Meat & Seafood "Tacos for Tahoe" giveaway on Monday, October 26 starting at 10:00 a.m.

Brian Cohen, owner of the popular market in South Lake Tahoe, will be continuing what they did three different times at the beginning of the pandemic. At the first ground beef giveaway Cohen went through all 1,000 pounds of meat in 90 minutes.

This time he giving away 1,400 pounds.

"Many people are still struggling in our town," he said. "We are here to help out the community."

Cohen has held the hamburger giveaways on Mondays to coincide with Bread & Broth's Monday night food giveaway, even thought its his most hectic day of the week. He said people can get his burger, the seasonings and vegetables from Overland, then visit St. Theresa Church in the afternoon to get bags of food and eat well for the week.

After the first ground beef giveaway Brian said people came into the store to donate cash for the next event.

On Monday, Raley's is once again joining by donation 700 packets of Lawry's Taco Seasoning, Safeway will again donate produce and tortillas. Overland will give two pounds of hamburger to each person in line while supplies last....that's 1,400 pounds of meat for the 700 people expected.

Brian said that he and his wife Kim feel they were able to keep the doors open during the closures by being an essential business so now it's time to help others.

"We are giving back to the community we know and love," said Brian.

He has been spreading the word about Monday's event for about a month, giving the public more time to plan to get out to the store at 2227 Lake Tahoe Boulevard, South Lake Tahoe. Brian said people will be socially distancing in the line, and those giving food away will be wearing gloves and masks.

Crystal Dairy has been helping out by storing the boxes of ground beef for Overland in their warehouse. Brian will get up early Monday and start transporting the meat to his store.

Brian is in the process of selling his store, but it will be like keeping it in the family as one of his longtime employees is buying the store which was started by Brian's dad. That process is expected to be complete by the end of winter.

But don't expect Brian to be leaving the store behind....he'll be staying on as an employee that doesn't have to work six-days-a-week before retiring completely just as Kim already has. He was never able to get the camper out this summer due to the work load and a shortage of staff...something he plans on rectifying in 2021.