kudos

For Bread & Bread there is so much to be thankful for as the year 2020 comes to an end. The organization would like to acknowledge all of the members of the Lake Tahoe South Shore community who have so generously supported our efforts to feed and help those in need during this holiday season.

Farwell 2020! We will always remember this year, but for most of us, we are also ready to kiss it goodbye with a swift kick to the curb. Our community, like all communities has been hard hit with lost income, closed businesses, stay at home orders, COVID and virtually learning at home. We have missed socializing, travelling, entertaining and being entertained, enjoying our extended family and cannot even see a friend’s smile behind their mask. We missed so much of 2020 and it has hurt, to be honest.

Bread & Broth’s holiday Thanksgiving meal giveaway on November 23 was a tremendous success thanks to the kindness of many generous community supporters. In addition to the regular bags filled with fresh fruit and vegetables, milk, eggs, butter, bread and pastries, 170 holiday meal “fixings” bags were handed out in the foyer of St. Theresa Grace Hall. The Thanksgiving meals went to 549 very grateful individuals and family members.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Live Violence Free is very excited to announce they have received a large donation from the Base Camp Pizza Company. Live Violence Free were chosen as this year’s non-profit community partner and throughout the 12-month donation period, Base Camp Pizza Co. staff collected more than $12,747 in donations for Live Violence Free.

Base Camp Pizza Co. has donated more than $100,000 over the years to various local non-profits through this program.

There are changes in the air and it's not just the leaves. School is going back, construction season is wrapping up, and Al Tahoe Boulevard is getting a new look.

Dear South Lake Tahoe Community, I write this letter of gratitude on behalf of the Friends of the South Lake Tahoe Library. On August 15th, we hosted our very first ever Drive-thru Grab Bag Book Sale. The traditional book sales are our biggest fundraisers and due to CDC restrictions, they are just not possible.

This new format was uncertain but you rose to the challenge. You generously donated books to be sold and you embraced this unique event making it a huge success. Thank you sincerely for being there for the Friends and for your library.

It is undeniable that the areas hit the hardest economically by the COVID-19 pandemic are those heavily reliant on tourism. South Lake Tahoe is unquestionably one of these areas, suffering not only because of the closure of its tourist economy but suffering higher infection rates due to the very tourism it relies upon. It is for these reasons that so much of the focus of the El Dorado Community Foundation, who serves all of El Dorado County, has been directed toward South Lake Tahoe. We recognized very early on that South Lake Tahoe would be the hardest hit region in the county.

Tahoe Magic wants to thank the hundreds of donors who have contributed during this COVID-19 crisis. We have received $236,893 to date in donations since mid-March and, in turn, we have helped more than 300 families, about 1500 individuals, with assistance totaling $204,094. We are spending your contributions almost as quickly as we are getting them. Every donation has gone directly back into the South Lake Tahoe community to support those needing help with basics: shelter, food and utilities.

On Thursday afternoon about 4:30 p.m. a fire crew from South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) responded to a brush fire at the Christian Science Church near Smart & Final. The crew managed to contain and extinguish the blaze and the church building sustained only minimal damage.

A shopping cart was found near what appeared to be the fire origin and contained what appeared to be personal property. The exact cause of the blaze is unknown but illegal campers have been a continuing problem in that area.

We would like to express our sincerest appreciation and deepest thanks to the Barton Health team for their efforts to address the coronavirus COVID-19 crisis. This is an unprecedented time to work in health care, and the staff, physicians, and administration have risen to this challenge while showing perseverance, nimbleness, and strategic creativity. The dedication to their job and the brave face they don each day while arriving at work is humbling. As Board members and community members we are deeply moved by this courage.

For over 30 years, Bread & Broth has been providing meals at St. Theresa Church’s Grace Hall to all who come to our door. Over the years, the number of meals served weekly has changed, but currently, Bread & Broth (B&B) serves two meals, Monday Meal and Second Serving on Fridays, every week of the year. As an all-volunteer, non-profit organization, B&B relies on the generosity of time and monetary support from our local community to provide the wonderful and nutritious meals that are enjoyed by our dinner guests.

Sponsoring their first Adopt A Day of Nourishment (AAD) for this year, the Tahoe Douglas Rotary Club donated $300 to host Bread & Broth’s Monday Meal dinner on February 24 and helped feed those in need in our community. Having sponsored five to six Bread & Broth (B&B) meals annually for the past several years, the Rotary Club has demonstrated its commitment to dedicating their time and talents to tackling humanitarian challenges.

Thank you for making the 6th annual Bubbles and Bowties Adult Prom another successful year!

Because of the support of the people below and the community, we raised $20,000 to help send our local kids to the Nevada Diabetes Association's Camp Buck.

Special thank yous to:

This year we were so lucky to have Kelsey at Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel help us book the incredible venue.

Kerry at Blue Sky Events helped up arrange linens to be donated by creative coverings.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - As local residents and St. Theresa Church parishioners, Kevin and Jean Bauwens wanted to help those in need and decided that sponsoring a Bread & Broth (B&B) Adopt A Day of Nourishment would provide them with the opportunity to help feed those experiencing hunger in our community. So, on February 2, Kevin and Jean, along with their daughter, Carrie Bauwens, and granddaughter, Isabel Telles, hosted the Monday Meal at St. Theresa Grace Hall.

Bread & Broth’s Adopt A Day of Nourishment (AAD) program provides community members the opportunity to partner with us in our efforts to serve a hot, nutritious meal to the less fortunate of our community. Providing a basic need is a way to not only ease hunger but also uplifts the lives and well-being of those who are struggling. Wanting to take advantage of this opportunity to help others, the Tahoe Wellness Center partnered with Bread & Broth (B&B) and hosted the Monday Meal as the Adopt A Day sponsor on January 20.

Thanks to the Kiwanis Club of Tahoe Sierra’s $300 sponsorship and manpower donation, Bread & Broth (B&B) volunteers were able to prepare and serve another great dinner on January 13. Ever since the inception of B&B’s Adopt A Day of Nourishment (AAD) sponsorship program back in 2012, the Kiwanis Club has been adopting the second Monday dinner in the month of January. The Club was one of the first organizations to host an AAD and they have been a consistent supporter of B&B’s goal of easing hunger in our community.

The Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority would like to thank the community for their generous donations of toys, food and $900 in cash that was collected for Christmas Cheer All Year at the LTVA’s Nevada Visitors Center during December.

Thank you also to the South Lake Tahoe Lodging Association for their $500 donation.

Many local individuals and businesses stepped in to make the holidays a little brighter for those in need, and for that we are grateful.

Anne Sutterfield
Online & Operations Manager
Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority

On December 23, Andy and Ellen Dauscher, and their daughters Ali and Carleigh, shared the blessings of the holiday season with the dinner guests attending Bread & Broth’s Monday Meal dinner. Thanks to their Adopt A Day of Nourishment (AAD) sponsorship, the Dauscher Family funded B&B’s meal, and as a family, volunteered at the dinner to spread the holiday spirit and share the blessing of a holiday meal.

“What a wonderful way to start Christmas week,” shared Ellen. “We love helping our community members who are hungry. Thank you, Bread & Broth for letting us join you.”

Five members of Vail’s EpicPromise Team joined the Bread & Broth volunteers to help put on the December 9 Monday Meal at St. Theresa’s Grace Hall. The EpicPromise team included Food & Beverage Director Ted McDowell, Environmental Manager Frank Papandrea, Activities Manager Dana Paugh, Community Relations Manager Brandy Thomson, and Health & Safety Specialist Chanel Walker. All of these Vail Heavenly Mountain Resort team members have volunteered frequently over the past years with the exception of Dana Paugh.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Camp Richardson Resort, known for its wonderful campgrounds and providing so many fun activities throughout the year for both Tahoe visitors and locals, was the Adopt A Day sponsor for Bread & Broth’s (B&B) Monday Meal on November 18.

“We love the B&B volunteers who make an Adopt A Day happen,” commented Vanessa Santora, Camp Richardson’s operations manager. “From the people we have the pleasure of serving, to the time spend with my team, we leave every time smiling from ear to ear with gratitude.”

Every year during the first week of November, Corporate Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. encourages their Ameriprise office team members across the country to participate in an activity to support their ‘National Day of Service’ giving campaign. For the last five years, the Tahoe South Shore’s Ameriprise office has elected to sponsor a Bread & Broth Adopt A Day of Nourishment (AAD) and this year they hosted the Monday Meal on November 4 to participate in the annual Corporate campaign.

The Juvenile Service Council of El Dorado County (JSC) recently held our 2nd annual Holiday Fair. We are so grateful to so many in our community who made the success of the event possible.

We want to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to the many vendors, donors, raffle prize donations, and volunteers who made it all possible!

“As Rotarians, we practice our motto ‘Service Above Self’,” shared Tahoe Douglas Rotary Club member Brian Williams. “So, volunteering regularly at Bread & Broth is very special. It is a great, meaningful organization that provides a vital service to many of our less fortunate community members. Try it! You’ll like it!”

Every year In November, Vail EpicPromise Grants are generously awarded to many local community non-profit organizations including the Bread & Broth organization. In addition to supporting Bread & Broth’s B&B 4 Kids Program, the Vail Grant provides funds to sponsor 12 annual B&B Adopt A Day of Nourishment dinners which are served at St. Theresa Grace Hall on Monday evenings to any member of the community who attends the dinner.