(Lander, WY) – The KOVE 1330 AM / 107.7 FM Today in the 10 interview series Coffee Time continued today with host Vince Tropea, who recently spoke with Kevin Wilson, the Executive Director of the Lander Free Medical Clinic, who has recently made it his mission to help address the housing insecurity issue in the Lander and Fremont County community.
Wilson shared that according to census data, there are “at least eight people in our (Lander) community who are in need of some kind of shelter on any given night, and that number expands to at least 44 in Fremont County, if not a little bit more.”
After meeting with other community partners to identify needs in our area and realizing the only current option for temporary shelter is the warming huts, Wilson decided that something needed to be done about procuring a location to provide shelter for those in need.
Wilson recently bid on a 2578 square foot house located on the 100 block of Lincoln Street, which he says can house up to eight people who are “homeless or housing insecure in our community,” and hopes that the home will be a hub of resources for those in need.
(You can donate directly to the cause on Wilson’s GoFundMe page.)
Wilson said he wants to name the house ‘St. Francis House,’ stating, “He’s one of my favorite figures in history who really gave up everything he had to serve the poor and vulnerable people in his community.”
Wilson clarified that despite the name, the St. Francis House won’t have a religious association, but is just in honor of “his outpouring of love to everybody from every religious tradition or denomination.”
“This is about providing people a roof over their head so they can focus on finding work, medical care, psychiatric care, social services, or whatever other kind of support they need to get back on their feet and secure more permanent housing,” Wilson also explains on the GoFundMe page.
To hear more about Wilson’s mission and how you can help contribute or volunteer, listen to the full Coffee Time interview below!
Be sure to tune in to Today in the 10 and Coffee Time interviews every morning from 7:00 to 9:00 AM on KOVE 1330 AM / 107.7 FM, or stream it live right here.