SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Every week in South Lake Tahoe, volunteers are helping a child gain confidence in reading, ensuring quality food reaches local families, and proving that a stronger community is built one act of service at a time.
Over the past year, volunteers with the Marcella Foundation provided more than 1,160 hours of one-on-one reading support to students at Tahoe Valley Elementary School and helped rescue enough surplus food to provide more than 91,000 meals for the community. What began as a handful of volunteers has grown into a network of more than 90 community members dedicated to making South Lake Tahoe stronger. Together, they have become one of the driving forces behind the Foundation’s ability to expand its programs and serve more people each year.
To recognize their contributions, the Marcella Foundation recently hosted a Volunteer Appreciation Celebration, bringing together the people behind two of the organization’s core programs: ReadingPals and FeedTahoe.
“Volunteers are at the heart of everything we do,” said Melissa Uppendahl, executive director of the Marcella Foundation. “From helping a child discover the joy of reading to delivering food for a family in need, their impact is felt across our community every day. As we look ahead to The Atrium, we’re excited to create even more opportunities for volunteers to help invest in the next generation of Tahoe’s youth.”
ReadingPals pairs volunteers with elementary students for weekly one-on-one reading sessions that build literacy skills and confidence. FeedTahoe mobilizes volunteers to rescue quality surplus food from local businesses and deliver it to nonprofit partners serving families, seniors, and individuals experiencing food insecurity throughout South Lake Tahoe.
Together, these volunteers have helped achieve:
• 1,160 hours of one-on-one reading support during the 2025-26 school year
• 70.3% of participating students improved their reading comprehension
• 34% of students gained three or more reading grade levels
• 91,103 meals delivered to the community since August 2024
• 109,324 pounds of food rescued and redirected to local nonprofits since August 2024
• 471,644 pounds of carbon emissions prevented through food recovery efforts
While the numbers are impressive, volunteers say the most meaningful impact comes from the relationships they build and the lives they touch.
One ReadingPals volunteer shared that their student was “reading words and sentences with continuous flow, whereas before they stopped at every few words.” A FeedTahoe volunteer reflected that “it feels so good to rescue food and bless others with it.”
The Volunteer Appreciation Celebration was hosted at Cascade Kitchens, whose support helped create a welcoming space for volunteers to connect, share stories, and celebrate the impact they have made together. The Marcella Foundation also extends its gratitude to Lazy Bear Bakery and Slice Shack for helping make the event special.
As the evening came to a close, the focus turned toward the future.
In the coming year, volunteers will have new opportunities to support The Atrium, the Marcella Foundation’s future youth and community hub located in the former Attic building on 970 Lodi Avenue. Designed to bring the Foundation’s Feed, Read, and Lead initiatives together under one roof, The Atrium will feature a community makerspace where local youth can design, build, and create through making, technology, and mentorship.
The same volunteers who power FeedTahoe and ReadingPals today will help expand the Foundation’s impact through The Atrium, creating new opportunities for learning, connection, and community engagement.
The Marcella Foundation believes that lasting change happens when neighbors invest in one another. Every book read, every meal delivered, and every hour volunteered helps create a stronger future for South Lake Tahoe.
Those interested in volunteering can learn more at https://www.marcellafoundation.org/volunteer
-The Marcella Foundation