Are you over the winter? Over shoveling, snow blowing, dodging potholes, scraping ice off of windshields, wearing at least three layers, losing power, and being cold? We all are. For most of us, this winter has been cold, tiresome, and long, long, long. We have, however, had a warm place to stay or call home, food on the table, a bed to sleep in each night, and some heat.

For some of our neighbors, winter comes with huge obstacles because of the struggle they have for what we take for granted, the essential needs of shelter, food, heat, and electricity. I know many of us were temporarily without power and realized how much we rely on it for our warmth, for keeping our food, and for light in the darkness.

This winter has been one of the coldest and snowiest in decades. Most of California has experienced extreme weather. It has been even more difficult for those that are shelter-insecure. California currently has one-third of the homeless population in the nation. Many California communities have no shelters or ongoing services for the unhoused members of their community. We are fortunate.

South Lake Tahoe has worked diligently for many years to house our neighbors, especially during the long, snowy, and cold winters. First was the Warm Room, a place for the unsheltered to take shelter between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. from December through March. Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless worked diligently to make this happen. Two years ago, the Coalition was able to acquire housing for up to 60 residents and currently houses about 40 of our formerly homeless neighbors. Through the pandemic, through the Caldor Fire, through an incredible winter, these fragile people – some on oxygen, some with disabilities, some that had never felt safe inside with others, all without a home – have been housed.

This winter brought even more challenges for everyone, but even more for those unhoused. It was literally life-threatening with news of possible flooding to those that remained living in tents, under the canopy of a tree, or under the overhang of a building. The Coalition knew that they would likely be flooded out and/or freeze to death without shelter. Teams searched and then gently convinced more than 10 additional people to accept shelter during the storms. Our community provided a safe place and those essential needs, of shelter, warmth, and a hot dinner each night.

The storms kept coming so the shelter was extended. Later, during one of our later storms (they all start to blend together) again the Coalition actively looked for and sheltered those that weren’t already in a safe shelter.

This has been overwhelming for us all, but especially overwhelming for the Coalition, a non-profit dedicated to housing those in circumstances that have left them without such an essential need during this exceptional winter.

It is easy to look away and concentrate on our own big issues with the winter, of which there are many. However, we are a community of families, businesses, schools, children, parents, grandparents, government, and of many visitors. Ours is also a community of care for each other.

Please consider supporting the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless. We are your community too! We need your support. Learn more and donate at tahoehomeless.org, or mail a check to:

Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless
Box 13514
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151