Dear Friends,
We are proud to present you with our Peak Impact Report. It’s humbling to know that over the last year alone we provided nearly 12,000 services to over 8,000 community members. These services included school violence prevention programs, legal assistance, food distributions, health workshops, services to victims of domestic violence, and more. But behind the numbers are real stories of the people we serve, like Becky, a Truckee resident who recently said:
“Thank you for giving me hope when I didn’t have any. The guidance and resources your team provided helped me see a real future for myself; I now can be happy again and optimistic about what’s ahead.”
We are grateful to be able to provide support and hope to people like Becky.
As we reflect on another year, we are filled with gratitude for our dedicated team, board, partners, and volunteers who are committed to our vision of creating inclusive, safe, healthy communities where everyone flourishes. Community is central to all we do. More than 100 local families participated in our Family Room program, and we hosted 200+ family, health, and community workshops that ultimately helped keep our community safer, healthier, and more connected.
We are so grateful for our staff, donors, and partner organizations—because it takes all of us. Together, we are creating a safer, stronger community.
As we look ahead to the future, we do so with a renewed sense of motivation. Our work impacts everyone in the Tahoe/Truckee region. We invite you to read on for a glimpse of the impact we have had on individuals and families throughout our community.
With Gratitude,
Paul Bancroft, MA
Executive Director
Sierra Community House
Gordon Shaw
Board Chair
Sierra Community House
About Sierra Community House
On July 1, 2019, four human services agencies merged to serve the Tahoe/Truckee region more holistically.
Every day, community members contact us looking for help. These are families in need of food; individuals seeking safety from domestic and sexual violence; parents pursuing education and healthcare for their children; community members in need of affordable housing and employment; and vulnerable residents striving to find relief from isolation, poverty, and chronic disease.
We are dedicated to building a stronger community by promoting violence prevention in schools, hosting engaging workshops, and collaborating with local organizations to make a meaningful impact.
As one organization, we are stronger in service to the community.
Our Mission
We connect and empower our community through family strengthening, crisis intervention, hunger relief, and legal services.
Core Values
We create stronger communities and organizations when we genuinely comprehend other human beings’ experiences. We are trauma-informed and offer all of our services with respect and empathy. We model empathy across our organization to create a safe, caring work culture that nurtures teamwork and connection.
We work to enable communities and individuals to recognize their own resources and determine their own future by providing opportunities for support and empowerment. We are committed to building on strengths as a foundation for positive growth.
Our communities entrust us to serve and act with integrity and we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards. We are fair and honest in order to create a culture of trust, safety, and respect both in our places of work and in the communities we serve and live in.
At the beginning of 2024, the Hunger Relief program introduced the Community Pantry in Truckee, a client choice model that offers a welcoming space for individuals and families to hand pick their own variety of healthy nutritious food. Additionally, the Hunger Relief Program provides Emergency food boxes and cooking compromised bags to local offices and organizations throughout the area to serve those in the community with an urgent need for food or those without access to a kitchen. Through partnerships with local grocery stores, seasonal gardens & growers, and food banks, Sierra Community House helps to get food into the hands and mouths of our community while reducing the amount of food ending up in landfills.
Hunger Relief
Food pantry program providing nutritious food to any community member experiencing food insecurity.
Promoting a healthy community by reducing food insecurity.
Sierra Community House feeds families and individuals by providing weekly food distributions throughout the Tahoe/Truckee region. We provide grocery bags comprised of essential food groups including vegetables, fruit, whole grains, dairy, starches, proteins, and oils. Our food pantry programs are designed to support the 1 in 7 Nevadans and 1 in 7 Californians experiencing food insecurity. We also offer the opportunity to connect community members to additional resources.
Our Hunger Relief Team provided
feeding approximately
In 2024 we rescued
that otherwise would have gone to waste.
But Sierra Community House stepped in when I needed it most. Their Hunger Relief program provided food for my kids, allowing me to focus on finding work. Now that I’m back on my feet, I’m committed to giving back to the community that lifted me up. Thank you for helping me get my life back!”
*Names and photos have been changed to protect identity
Impact Story
Meet Jamal, who Sought Supplemental Food Resources For His Family During a Difficult time
Jamal is a single father who lost his job unexpectedly. With bills piling up, he found himself having to make impossible decisions between paying his bills and feeding his kids. He turned to Sierra Community House for help. Through our Hunger Relief program, Jamal received nutritious food for his family, and was assisted with CalFresh (formerly food stamps) enrollment to help his family buy groceries. His advocate assisted Jamal to review and adjust his household budget to get back on track with paying bills. Jamal was also connected with the Alliance for Workforce Development to access job search and resume-building resources. To ensure his family’s housing stability while Jamal looked for work, he applied for and received one month of Sierra Community House rental assistance. Today, Jamal is back on his feet, and he’s committed to giving back to the community that supported him.
Victim Support, Legal Assistance, & Family Support
Providing legal assistance, immigration services, and support for families and individuals. Delivering crisis intervention and victim support services.
Mediation & Legal Assistance
Empowering community members through access to justice.
Our Legal Advocates and volunteer attorneys provide legal services to resolve civil legal issues. Through education, support, and conflict resolution, we consult and guide community members in matters related to Family Law, Restraining Orders, Immigration Law, Landlord-Tenant Law, Employment Law, Civil Law, Small Claims, and more.
Sierra Community House believes in equitable access to information, resources, and representation. We uplift our community by empowering individuals to take practical steps that address and resolve legal issues and prevent future problems.
We assisted
Services cover legal issues like Immigration Law, Family Law, Landlord Tenant-Law, Employment-Wage Law and other civil legal issues.
In the last year, we’ve answered nearly
Each call reflects the critical, immediate support that Sierra Community House provides to community members facing a wide spectrum of challenges.
Survivor Advocacy & Safe House
Helping to create a community free from violence where healthy relationships are built on empathy, inclusion, love, and respect.
Sierra Community House provides individual counseling, support groups, emergency assistance, and other support services for adult and child survivors of intimate partner/domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse. We offer the region’s only emergency shelter, transitional housing and rapid re-housing programs for people fleeing violence. All services are designed to empower victims in reclaiming their rights and to provide the tools individuals and families need on the road to safety and recovery.
Last year
focused on victims and survivors of domestic abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment, child abuse, sex trafficking, stalking, and dating violence.
We provided
with emergency shelter, helping them achieve safety from abusive relationships. This includes rapid rehousing, Safe House stays, emergency motel stays, and transitional housing.
Family Support
Empowering strong and healthy individuals and families through education, connection, resources, and support.
Sierra Community House provides culturally proficient peer education, advocacy, and resource navigation services to help individuals and families thrive. We support community well-being by providing connection to local resources, government benefits, financial coaching, healthcare navigation, and rent/utility assistance.
Our Family Support Team supported
including connecting individuals to social services, assisting with benefit applications, rental and utility assistance, and home visitation services.
We assisted hundreds of locals in accessing workforce housing and rent/utility assistance, awarding
Thanks to the legal support from Sierra Community House, we learned our rights and found a path forward. Their guidance helped us negotiate with our landlord and explore available programs. We’re now in a new home and feel stronger than ever. We couldn’t have done it without this amazing community.”
*Names and photos have been changed to protect identity.
Impact Story
Meet the Thompsons, who Navigated a Housing Crisis with Legal Support and Community
The Thompson family, long-term tenants and local workers, faced overwhelming challenges when they lost their home due to unforeseen medical expenses. They found solace with the support of our legal team, who guided them through landlord negotiation and understanding their rights as a tenants. The Thompsons learned about the available programs and created a solid plan to move forward and overcome housing insecurity, despite their financial hardships. Today, they are stronger than ever and have found a new place to call home, surrounded by their supportive community.
Community Engagement & Violence Prevention Education
Parenting & Early Learning
We offer a range of programs and classes for children aged 0-5 and their caregivers, focusing on building literacy, socio-emotional health, and parenting skills. The Family Room fosters meaningful and healthy interactions between parents/caregivers and their young children. Families engage in interactive, research-based early learning enrichment activities that prepare children for school while helping parents deepen their understanding of healthy childhood development. Parenting workshops and classes, including Parent Café and Mi Bebé y Yo, provide valuable support for navigating the challenges of raising a family. Over the past year, more than 200 parents and caregivers participated in these enriching programs.
In the last year, our Community Engagement team interacted with thousands of community members, providing over
that include Latino outreach via our Promotoras, children’s workshops, health and wellness programs, parenting classes, and peer support.
Promotoras/Community Health Workers
Promotoras offer peer education activities related to chronic disease, mental health, community health and wellness. With a special focus in reaching out to the Latino community, the Promotoras serve as liaisons between community members, health professionals, and social service organizations. We are leaders in our community. Promotoras mobilize and get involved around issues having direct impact in families and individuals residing in the area. Peer support is core to Promotora work, connecting community members to certified peer supporters to help address mental health challenges and reduce barriers of access to care. More than 1,200 community members participated in community health fairs, healing through arts and crafts classes, Zumba and aerobics throughout the year.
Violence Prevention Education
Our Prevention Team provided violence prevention education and youth empowerment programs in local schools and community, for over
Our Prevention and Community Education Program provides violence prevention education in English and Spanish to local students, businesses, and organizations in the Tahoe/Truckee region.
Through workshops and presentation activities, we bring the conversation about personal safety and self-defense, sexual harassment, teen dating violence, gender diversity and inclusion, bystander intervention, intimate partner violence, and sexual assault to the community. Specifically, at schools, we present to students about child abuse prevention, social emotional learning and skills, teen dating and consent, cyber safety, and bullying. We also facilitate Youth Empowerment Groups, intended to provide a safe space for students to discuss topics relevant to their lives, such as healthy friendships and relationships, managing emotions, respect, leadership, and communication skills.
The support I received—from counseling to job training—helped me rebuild my life. I now have a stable job and the strength to create a peaceful future for my children. I’m so grateful for the community that believed in me.”
*Names and photos have been changed to protect identity.
Impact Story
Meet Lisa, Who Found Safety and Strength After Escaping Domestic Violence
Lisa escaped a tumultuous relationship and sought refuge in our domestic violence shelter. With the support of our dedicated staff, she found safety and the resources she needed to rebuild her life. While staying in our shelter, Sierra Community House provided her with counseling, job readiness training, and a community of women who understood her struggles. Now, Lisa is thriving, with a stable job and a newfound sense of strength, ready to create a peaceful future for herself and her children.
In the last five years, nearly 41% of households in the Tahoe/Truckee region* have received services from Sierra Community House, including school violence prevention programs, legal assistance, food distributions, health workshops, services to victims of domestic and sexual violence, and more.
*Number calculated through census data and Sierra Community House’s community member recordkeeping software.
Between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024 Sierra Community House helped keep our community safer, healthier, and more connected by delivering nearly 12,000 services to over 8,000 community members. This was made possible through the support of our many funders, volunteers, donors, partners, board members, and our dedicated staff.
Watching them grow in confidence and creativity through the program has been a joy. The instructors were so supportive, and now my girls are thriving. I’m grateful for this opportunity that has transformed our lives!”
*Names and photos have been changed to protect identity.
Impact Story
Meet Aisha, who Empowered Her Daughters Through Our Family Room Program
Aisha, a mother of two daughters, attended our Family Room program. Before attending the Family Room, her daughters struggled with social anxiety and self-expression. Each week, Aisha saw her daughters build confidence and artistic abilities through the warmth of the instructors and activities offered by the Family Room.
Income & Expenses
Preliminary Income
for the year ending June 30, 2024
Preliminary Expenses
for the year ending June 30, 2024
Preliminary Expenses by Program
for the year ending June 30, 2024
To see our latest financial documents, click here.
View our most recent 990 report.
2023-2024 Primary Funding Sources
FEDERAL FUNDERS
U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women
STATE OF CALIFORNIA FUNDERS
California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery
California Department of Social Services via Opening Doors
California Office of Emergency Services
California Department of Public Health
STATE OF NEVADA FUNDERS
Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child and Family Services
Nevada Department of Business and Industry, Housing Division
Nevada Office of the Attorney General
COUNTY AND CITY FUNDERS
First 5 Nevada County
First 5 Placer Children and Families Commission
Nevada County
Placer County
FOUNDATION OR PRIVATE FUNDERS
Domus Development
Donald W. Reynolds Community Nonprofit Center Grant
Food Bank of Northern Nevada
Katz Amsterdam Foundation
Lahontan Community Foundation
The Martis Fund, a collaborative project of Martis Camp landowners, DMB/Highlands Group (the developers of Martis Camp), Mountain Area Preservation (MAP), and Sierra Watch
Martis Camp Foundation
Nourishing Neighbors Safeway Foundation
North Tahoe Community Alliance
Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation
Project GO, Inc.
Richard Reed Foundation
Rotary of Incline-Tahoe
Rotary of Tahoe City
Rotary of Incline Village
Safeway Foundation
Soroptimist International of Truckee Donner
Southwest Gas
Tahoe Forest Hospital District
Tahoe Mountain Resorts Foundation
Truckee Tahoe Airport District
Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation
TOT-TBID Dollars at Work
Town of Truckee
Truckee Donner Public Utility District
The Center at Sierra Health Foundation
Vail Resorts Epic Promise
van Löben Sels/RembeRock Foundation
Vision y Compromiso
In addition to those listed above, we are extremely grateful for all of our individual, family trust and foundation donors. Your generosity allows us to serve our wonderful community.
The Sierra Community Giving Society
Together we work toward a society where all people are safe, able to meet their basic needs, and treated with dignity and consideration.
The society believes in compassion, social change, equitable access, respect, and a strong sense of community. Together, we help communities and individuals to recognize their strengths and determine their futures by providing access to resources and promoting empowerment.
Featured Donors
Sierra Community House exemplifies this philosophy by offering a wide range of services and addressing diverse community needs. Their compassionate, professional, and resourceful staff create an environment where volunteers feel valued and empowered to make a tangible difference in the lives of others.”
