This year, we proudly celebrate multiple staff members reaching their 10-year work anniversaries, a testament to their dedication and resilience. These individuals began their journeys with us even before the merger and remain integral to our mission today.
On January 13th, Teresa Crimmens, our Deputy Executive Director celebrated her 10th year work anniversary with our organization! She originally started at the Truckee Family Resource Center as the operations manager and since then has make exceptional contributions! We sat down with Teresa to reflect on her decade-long commitment and to celebrate her legacy.
10 Questions for Teresa
What motivated you to join Family Resource Center of Truckee 10 years ago?
On my first visit to the office we now call Truckee House, though it was called the Family Resource Center of Truckee at the time, I was attracted to the vibrant energy of the space, the team and the community. Now, 10 years later, I still experience that positive energy at all SCH offices.
What has been your proudest moment during your time here?
I can’t pinpoint a single moment because there have been so many. I feel proud to have played a role in the creation of Sierra Community House, and to be part of an incredible team that values compassion, culture, collaboration and community.
How do you stay motivated and focused on the mission during challenging times?
When I feel stuck or am facing a challenge, it helps me to talk about it with a colleague. I am fortunate to work among bright, thoughtful and creative people, and I value their insights and thought partnership. Talking things through with another team member helps me to shift my perspective and usually my attitude too😊.
What’s a goal you’re still eager to achieve in your role?
It’s exciting to think about the possibilities – all of our programs and services have room to grow in response to community needs. At some point, it would be great to operate a thrift store or other business that both supports a community need and provides us with a new income stream to sustain our work.
What are your hopes for the future of Sierra Community House?
One of the goals of creating Sierra Community House was to get a better understanding of community needs by analyzing data across multiple service locations and programs. While we can compare some datasets relatively easily, we have a ways to go before we can pull cross-programmatic data “with the click of a button” across all programs. I’m excited to continue working on the SCH Data Committee towards our 2025 goals of standardizing demographic data collection and evaluation tools across programs.
What’s your favorite way to unwind after a busy day at work?
I like to go for a walk in my neighborhood. Working up a sweat and increasing my heart rate while climbing hills is my go-to for releasing stress after work. I also like to listen to my family members tell me about their day because it takes me out of my own head.
If you could have dinner with any three people, dead or alive, who would they be and why?
This is a hard one. In a sense, I choose to have dinner nearly every day with my husband and two kids and would choose them again because they are wonderful….though I’m not sure that’s in the spirit of the question. I want dinner to be familiar and for the conversation to be filled with inside references and laughter. I want to have dinner with any three people I know and love – like my mom, brother and sister, or three of my dear friends from college. Each of these combinations of people is precious to me, and I will take every chance I can get to spend time with them.
What’s a hobby you’ve picked up or would like to pick up over the last decade?
Cross-country skiing. I never knew what it was or that it existed until about 14 years ago. Over the past 10 years, I’ve really gotten into it and try to get out as much as I can.
What’s your go-to coffee or tea order to kickstart your day?
Drip coffee with a little milk.
What’s a memorable or funny moment you’ve experienced at Sierra Community House?
Again, there are so many. A recent one that made me laugh out loud was walking into the warehouse just in time to join two staff members in hearing the crescendo of Dave Winnel’s cover of Toto’s “Africa (triple j Like A Version)”. Something about walking in at the precise moment of that soaring chorus while heads bopped along made all three of us burst into laughter.
Teresa’s leadership, dedication, and vision have been instrumental in shaping Sierra Community House and its impact over the years. As we celebrate this incredible milestone, we express our deepest gratitude for all Teresa has accomplished and look forward to the continued growth and success she will inspire in the years to come. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay tuned as we continue honoring the decade long dedicated staff that have also made significant contributions to our community.
