South Lake Tahoe community responds to Wishing Tree at Live Violence Free

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There were 185 wish lists hanging on the tree inside Live Violence Free this year, all from clients who have been served over the past year. The nonprofit agency in South Lake Tahoe provides advocacy and education to promote a violence-free community.

Each client wrote down three gift ideas with ages and likes, and people picked out a hanging ornament with that list, all amounting to about $50 per child.

There were 94 different donors this year, with some taking on multiple lists. Local businesses also participated including MontBleu, Basecamp, Lake Tahoe Community College, Liberty Utilities, the Lake Tahoe Magnet School, Barton Health and Safeway.

While many purchased gifts for Christmas, others participated in the agency's Diaper and Wipes program (purchasing the needed baby items), and gift cards for use all year long. Live Violence Free will save those gift cards and give to clients with emergency needs.

"This is helpful and impactful and takes off the financial stress this time of year," explained Jaycee Macias, victim witness advocate at Live Violence Free.

Macias said there is one local resident who comes in every year and gives hundreds of dollars for gift cards.

The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office with the South Lake Tahoe Police Department also joined in with gifts to deliver.