Carlos' 2025 fundraiser for the Truckee Roundhouse

If you’ve known me for a while, you already know how much the Truckee Roundhouse means to me. Since 2016, it has grown into the only makerspace of its kind in the Truckee–Tahoe region: a creative sanctuary where kids, adults, seniors, entrepreneurs, artists, and beginners all learn, make, and connect under one roof.

Last year many of you helped me support the Roundhouse during Give Back Tahoe, and I’m incredibly grateful. This year, the stakes feel even higher, both for the Roundhouse and for me personally.

2025 has been… intense.

On a personal level, I’ve had to navigate major life changes, some of which I didn’t choose and couldn’t control. It’s been a year of transition, uncertainty, and trying to rebuild my footing. Through all of it, the Roundhouse has been one of my strongest pillars.

Not just because of the tools or classes, but because of the community: the mentors, the staff, the volunteers, the members, and the simple feeling of being welcomed in a place where making something with your hands can stabilize your heart and mind.

And beyond my own world, it’s hard to ignore how tense and divided things feel across the country. People everywhere are looking for spaces that feel safe, respectful, creative, and human. 

At the Roundhouse, we see that kind of healing and belonging happen every day: people recovering after injuries, seniors fighting isolation, teens discovering confidence, newcomers building friendships, LGBTQIA+ makers finding safe creative space, and students from underserved backgrounds uncovering talents they never knew they had. It’s a reminder that community still matters, and that places like this offer something hopeful and grounding at a time when many of us need it most.

But we got you! The Roundhouse is expanding. Literally.

Demand has outpaced our 4,600 sqft facility. We’ve reached limits: waitlists for classes, pacing of orientations for new members, ceramics capacity maxed out, we can only offer one class per shop at a time...

Our Expansion Project will grow our space to 6,770 sqft, allowing us to:

• Offer more classes and more scheduling flexibility
• Improve safety and air quality in the shops
• Create space for new mediums (like stained glass and jewelry)
• Serve more schools, nonprofits, and partner programs
• Expand free offerings like LGBTQIA+ workshops, Fix-It Clinics, and Senior Workshops
• Create after-school youth programs and vocational exposure opportunities
• Increase paid teaching opportunities for local artists and tradespeople

Last year alone, we had 9,789 member and class visits, served 648 students through partnerships, hosted thousands at community events, and diverted 750 pounds of materials from landfill via Fix-It events. Imagine what we'll be able to do thanks to the expansion! And you can be part of it!

If the Roundhouse has impacted you, inspired you, or if you believe, like I do, that creative communities are worth protecting and growing, I’d be deeply grateful for your support. And for those that haven't had the opportunity to experience the Roundhouse first-hand, if you trust me and you have the means to help, I'd be even more grateful. Even small donations have huge ripple effects here!

Thank you for helping us build the next chapter of the Truckee Roundhouse.

In gratitude,

Carlos