SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — The Edgewood Companies announced an initial annual investment of $25,000 to become an operating sponsor of The Atrium, the Marcella Foundation’s new community makerspace and innovation center that will provide free, hands-on learning opportunities for local students. The commitment marks the next chapter in a partnership that has grown from food rescue efforts into a shared investment in the future of South Lake Tahoe.
Some partnerships begin with a single conversation. Others grow into something that changes a community. For the Marcella Foundation and The Edgewood Companies, it began in the kitchen.
When Executive Chef Jon Snyder first connected with FeedTahoe, he saw an opportunity to ensure that surplus food from Edgewood Tahoe Resort could nourish local families instead of going to waste. That simple conversation sparked a partnership that has continued to grow, first through food rescue, then through employee volunteerism, community events, and now an investment in the future of Tahoe’s youth.
Over the past three years, Edgewood Tahoe Resort has become one of FeedTahoe’s valued food donors, helping rescue more than 5,000 pounds of surplus food that has been redistributed to nine local food pantry partners instead of going to waste. Last year, The Edgewood Companies also made a $10,000 investment to strengthen FeedTahoe’s work combating food insecurity, helping provide nutritious meals to families across South Lake Tahoe.
Their support didn’t stop there.
Edgewood Tahoe Resort employees volunteered alongside the Marcella Foundation as Kindle Giveaway at Sierra House Elementary School, placing e-readers into the hands of local elementary students and encouraging a lifelong love of reading. Earlier this month, they once again stepped forward to serve as raffle runners during the Longest Dinner Table, helping generate more than $5,700 to support the Foundation’s work serving children and families.
Now, the partnership is entering its biggest chapter yet.
The Edgewood Companies’ annual investment for The Atrium will help make it possible for the Marcella Foundation to provide free access to hands-on learning experiences for 300 local students every year.
Edgewood Tahoe Resort’s commitment demonstrates how local businesses can play a meaningful role in shaping the next generation. As construction of The Atrium continues, the Marcella Foundation is inviting additional businesses, organizations, and community leaders who share this vision to help expand opportunities for Tahoe’s youth.
“The strongest partnerships aren’t built overnight,” said Melissa Uppendahl, Executive Director of the Marcella Foundation. “They grow because people continue showing up for one another. That’s exactly what Edgewood has done. They first helped us rescue food for families. Their employees volunteered in our schools and community events. Now they’re helping create a place where hundreds of local students every year will discover new skills, new passions, and new opportunities. We’re incredibly grateful for a partnership that continues to grow in both impact and vision.”
The Atrium represents the next evolution of the Marcella Foundation’s mission to Feed, Read, and Lead. The nearly 12,000-square-foot facility will bring together a professional makerspace, teaching kitchen, community event space, and the expanded home of FeedTahoe under one roof.
Students will have free access to woodworking, metalworking, laser cutting, 3D printing, sewing, entrepreneurship programming, digital fabrication, and mentorship from local professionals. At the same time, FeedTahoe will dramatically expand its emergency food storage capacity to rescue and redistribute nutritious food through pallet-scale cold storage, allowing the organization to serve even more food pantries while reducing food waste across the region.
“At Edgewood, we believe strong communities are built by investing in people,” said Corinna Osborne, Chief Operating Officer of The Edgewood Companies. “Supporting organizations that strengthen South Lake Tahoe has always been an important part of who we are, whether that’s helping address food insecurity, volunteering alongside our community partners, or investing in opportunities for local students to learn and grow. The Atrium is an investment in the next generation of Tahoe youth, and we’re proud to help create a place that will inspire creativity, build confidence, and open doors for years to come.”
Since launching FeedTahoe in 2024, the Marcella Foundation has rescued more than 109,000 pounds of food, providing more than 91,000 meals while preventing nearly 472,000 pounds of carbon emissions. As The Atrium opens its doors, the organization expects to expand both its food rescue operations and its educational programming, creating one central hub where students, volunteers, nonprofits, businesses, and community members come together to learn, serve, and build.
For Chef Jon Snyder, what started as a conversation about food has become part of something much bigger.
What began in the kitchen is now helping build the future.
