President Lisa Cali opened today's meeting with her beautiful smile and positivity. We had the most amazing and busy meeting today, so let's get to it.

Our Invocation, beautifully delivered by Lydia, served as a poignant reminder of the “ordinary riches” that fill our lives—elements that often go unnoticed, such as clean water, reliable electricity, nourishing food, a secure roof over our heads, and the cherished people who surround us. These seemingly mundane blessings hold immense value and deserve our heartfelt appreciation. As we approach the holiday season, let us take a moment to reflect on our privileges; even in moments of inconvenience, like being caught in traffic or navigating a busy terminal, we can express gratitude for the very ability to travel and connect with loved ones. This Thanksgiving, let us commit to making “giving thanks” a cherished part of our daily lives, fostering a spirit of optimism and connectedness within our community. We extend our warmest wishes for a blessed and joyful Thanksgiving, encouraging each of you to uplift others and share the abundance of gratitude that empowers us all.

This week, let’s extend our heartfelt sunshine and positive energy to Chris, a friend of Theresa, David, a friend of Laurie F, and Carmen, the beloved mother of Shelly, as they navigate their medical challenges. As members SITS, we unite our thoughts and prayers, creating a powerful wave of support that reinforces the strength of our community.

Today's guests included Tech Trek alumni Meara Donahue, Sophia Mere, Valentina Mere, Victoria Mere, Jeanne Benin, Rick Pence (A SoroptiMister), Jan Lynds, Emilie Tieslau, and Amy Tieslau. It was so wonderful to have you all at our meeting today.

Today's meeting was both inspirational and exciting! Our club spends the majority of its time and resources on the youth in our community. Not only do we have our own signature projects, but we work with and support other organizations whose mission aligns with ours such the South Lake Tahoe branch of the AAUW with the organization's Tech Trek. The American Association of University Women (AAUW), and its national membership of 170,000 members and supporters seeks to advance equity for women and girls through research, education, and advocacy. And like SITS, they are always looking for members!

Today's leadership of AAUW included Jan Lynds and President Jeanne Benin. Thank you so much to your entire organization for all the work you do to support our young ladies in STEM!

Tech Trek is a week-long residential math, science, and technology camp for girls entering the eighth grade. The South Lake Tahoe Branch raises money to send three girls to Tech Trek, held at University of California at Davis on an annual basis.

The camp is usually held during the summer. Girls are nominated by their middle school science teachers and interviewed by the branch committee, usually in March.

The camp allows the girls to experience a taste of college life by living with other girls from northern California in a dorm setting and eating in the college cafeteria. Girls get hands-on experience in science labs, math puzzles and models, problem solving, and team building exercises. The camp also provides the girls confidence in pursuing these educational fields still under-represented by women. AAUW members volunteer as dorm-mothers, nurses, and teachers. This camp is highly organized and professional.

This morning we were truly privileged to spend time with all of our guests, many of which were Tech Teck Alumni! Our two speakers this morning were Victoria Mere and Emilie Tieslau and they did a remarkable job of sharing their life changing experience.

Their stories reflect the transformative impact of the program, as they spoke of newfound confidence, leadership skills, and a deepened passion for technology and science. Their journeys not only highlight personal growth but also serve as a testament to the incredible support provided by volunteers and community members who believe in the potential of young women.

Victoria and Emilie explained that all 90 participants, all from Northern California, had a selection of their Core Class to attend daily. Those choices included Anatomy & Physiology, Data Analysis, Scholarships & Budgeting, A Professional Women's Forum, Robotics, and Genetic Engineering. Their week was very busy as they attended a Core Class in the morning followed by workshops in the afternoon. Workshops included a Professional Women's Symposium, an EMT course, and a visit and experience to the UC Davis Vet Clinic. Also weaved in the schedule was an opportunity for all girls to experience all Core Classes offered that week.

The young ladies couldn't talk enough about the life experiences they gained from participating. They both found a new sense of purpose, greater confidence, and more determination on the direction they want their future to hold. We were also very impressed that they gained all this with NO access to their cell phones for an entire week! With that they gained life long friendships and they really gained a boost to their social skills!

Thanks again to the AAUW and their leadership, Jan and Jeanne, and to Colleen and the Middle School Project committee for all of your heard work. And thank you to all who financial support SITS through our fundraisers. Together we presented AAUW with a $2000 check for this next summer's program. We are so excited!

Special SITS happenings to report!

A fabulous SITSgiving!

Thank you so much to Laurie Flesher and her wonderful husband Prakash for hosting their 1st Annual SITSgiving. A wonderful time was had by all and everyone is still full!

Mt. Tallac Thanksgiving Celebration!

A heartfelt thank you goes out to our very own Jeanne Prestella, our party-giving extraordinaire, and the entire Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra (SITS) team! Your dedication provided a beautiful Thanksgiving meal and celebration for the students of Mt.Tallac and their families. This action truly embodies the spirit of community involvement.

The joy and gratitude expressed during this festive gathering were palpable, reminding us all of the profound impact we can have when we come together. It’s incredible to witness how our efforts uplift these amazing students, breathing life into the holiday season and creating cherished memories. After all, nothing brings people together quite like good food and great company—just ask the turkey!

As we reflect on this celebration, let us continue to embrace our mission of empowering women, youth, and families, knowing that each act of kindness contributes to a brighter future for our community.

SITS Member Items & Our Projects

Members, mark your calendars for our upcoming dates of our Fundraising events: Signups will be happening shortly. Kudos to Jean B and Laurie F for getting the signup.com prepared.

• Mistletoe creations for Festival of Lights, Dec. 10. See Shelly for details.
• Festival of Lights, December 13-14 from 4-8pm.
• Annual SITS Holiday Celebration, Dec. 19. Details soon!
• Bread & Broth with Lasagna Love, Feb. 10.
• Online Auction, May 16 - 30, 2025.
• Mad Hatter Tea at Valhalla, May 18, 2025
• Celebrity Tournament, July 9-13, 2025

We are a hands on club, and we need all hands on these important projects to raise funds for our community.

SITS Committee Happenings!

Reminder: When hosting an event/meeting, please forward a photo and paragraph to techhelp@sitahoesierra.org so we can add it to our website and social calendar.

PR/Logo Development: Soon, very soon, we should have our new SITS logo approved for use! Be on the lookout for this fantastic and fun change so our community knows they can Rise & Shine with SITS! Thank you to the ladies who continue to work on this project. We are all so excited.

SITS Online Auction: Our Auction opens Friday, May 16 and closes on Friday, May 30, 2024 at 5:00 PM.

We just sent out Club Sponsor & Event Contributor requests this week and will follow up with individuals mid December. If you have suggestions, please include them on the google spreadsheet that all members have been sent a link for or contact Lisa Huard. Thank you to the ladies who helped with the sponsor letter and who are working on our club's new logo/tagline that we will include shortly!

Reminder to club members, please use the link to sign up for "follow up" with business donors. Your hard copy letters will be provided in January. Laurie F will also create a hard copy sign up sheet that we can pass around in meeting. Thanks everyone!

Our ONLINE AUCTION site is UP and Running! www.SITS2025.org. Donations are accepted NOW! Sponsorships and Event Contributor positions are accepted NOW!

Mad Hatter Tickets go on sale in January through the website AND we have a return of our Vacation Timeshare Raffle opportunities thanks to the generosity of the Jean Bergner, Cookie Rork, and Jeanne Prestella! Here we go ladies!

Live Your Dream Committee

Nancy reported that our club has 11 applicants for this year's award consideration. Great work to the committee as they have worked hard to encourage more young women to apply for this award. Read here for details about Live Your Dream.

MEMBER Weekly Contribution or Quarterly Contribution can be paid online here! It's fast and easy! It can go through your Paypal or Credit Card. Get er dun!

COMMITTEE Signup Portal!

This is how we get things done.

Our SITS club and all that we do are driven by the committees that we maintain. All members are asked to join at least ONE Service Committee and ONE Technical Committee. Service is what we do and Technical is how we roll! Our Committee Signup portal is ready for members to sign up on! Simply click here! Newsletter Team sign ups are here and all are welcome to learn a new skill and join in!

LTCC SITSters Happenings

This group of college students have taken the bull by the horns! They recently held their first Women's Symposium which provided participants with the opportunity to speak directly with women of various professional fields. Thank you to the many who organized and participated in this event. We'd also like to thank two of our own who brought their expertise to the event, Paula Peterson and Andie Solis.

NON-SITS

Fun and Opportunities in Tahoe

There's actually so much going on so you're going to want to check out the EVENTS tab on www.southtahoenow.com, but here's a few to get you started!

Tonight! St. Joseph's Land Trust invites you to.......

Soroptimist of Truckee Donor presents...

Soroptishop Artisan Faire is November 21, 2024 in beautiful Truckee. This is an awesome opportunity for Soroptimist and non Soroptimist to shop and have fun with our neighbors. Details here!

All funds raised from this year's event will go into our new Recreation Center! Business opportunities still available!

There are South Lake Tahoe Community Blood Drives, available for you to participate in, Friday Dec. 6th, 11:30 am - 5:00 PM at the Parks and Rec Center Gym. 1180 Rufus Allen Blvd. To schedule an appointment, call Vitalant at 775-329-6451

Sierra Foothills Assistance League does a parade of homes and the proceeds fund Operation School Bell, which helps our kids immensely with snow boots and clothes. For more information and to buy tickets, click here.

Make this a family event. Let's teach and remind our community the sacrifices of others.

Looking for up to date resources in our community? Barton Health has a list for all of us and it is actively updated! SHARE this link with others!

ALL YEAR LONG!

LTCC Basic Needs Center is looking for food donations. A variety of foods and basic need items are on the list. Click here for full list and drop off details

If you'd like to donate through our club, please bring your donations to the monthly business meeting and Lisa C. or Andie will make sure they are delivered to the college. Please include an estimate on the value as LTCC needs to keep records of that information.

Important information for your family from TASK (Tahoe Alliance for Safe Kids)

TASK's mission is to prevent and reduce youth substance use and related harm - Keeping kids safe in collaboration with our community partners. TASK's mission is to prevent and reduce youth substance use and related harm - Keeping kids safe in collaboration with our community partners. For more information about TASK click here.

For TASK's October campaign to keep kids safe, click here!

South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue has a quarterly newsletter to keep us all updated on fire safety info. Their goal is to help people learn about the fuels reduction products they are working on, seasonal fire safety info and other fire dept related news. Click here to sign up for the newsletter

Saint Joseph Community Land Trust has changed their Motel to Home (MTH) program from a loan program to a grant program and we're hoping this will attract families living in substandard housing, who would like to live in a more permanent and adequate home. Please click here for more details

Tahoe Learning Haven - Click here for all their information and a link to each month's newsletter.

TAHOE LEARNING HAVEN: Are you aware of the FREE monthly educational forums that Kathy Haven has set up for students, parents, and all interested community members? These are great! Most TLH forums are the second Wednesday of the month from 6:45pm-9pm at the Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe! See here or tahoelearninghaven@gmail.com. Mark your calendar now.

·       12/18 – Student/alumni college panel & fair

·       1/8 – Scholarship application tutorial

·       2/12 – The college track: A-G requirements

·       3/12 – Playing at the next level: Athletics after high school

Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless seeks community support in keeping people cared for.

Our South Shore community has been able to sleep better knowing that our homeless population has an indoor option. This winter season marked the seventh anniversary of the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless (TCH) providing warm beds to the most vulnerable in our community.

The office hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 12-4 at the Red Lodge, 1137 Emerald Bay Rd.

More details here

Between Horses and Humans continues to grow! If you're a lover of youth and a lover of horses, this is a program for you! You can keep up on their information by reading their newsletters here! Volunteers and donations are always needed. BHH Update-they are soon relocating to the Amacker Ranch!

Food Assistance Guide for So. Lake Tahoe. If you know of anyone in need, please share this information. Click and print!

CURLING NOW THAT DAYS ARE SHORTER? Maybe you’ve been waiting until the fall when there’s not sun to keep you on the beaches into the evenings and the temps are dropping? Never tried curling, come out and try some of the best ice in the US! The first dedicated curling ice in Nevada was right here in Stateline! Lessons, games, leagues, group parties, etc! See here