(Riverton, WY)—On July 10, the Riverton Help Center will mark the annual Wyoming Day of Giving. Also known as WyoGives, it is “an initiative of the Wyoming Nonprofit Network—a powerful statewide 24-hour online fundraising event designed to bring the state together as one community to raise funds and awareness for Wyoming’s nonprofits.” This celebrates two milestones—the 5th annual WyoGives and 234 years of Wyoming’s Statehood.
The Riverton Help Center is a 501(c)(3) private non-profit that partners with the Salvation Army and St. James Episcopal Church of Riverton to provide emergency assistance to needy and deserving individuals and families in the area. The RHC participates in the SA’s annual Red Kettle Campaign to raise funds for their direct services. The Episcopal Church provides an annual grant for direct services and also donates office space and utilities. The former provided $14k and the latter provided a grant of $25k for 2024. Additionally, every other month St. James EC donates their entire weekly offering to the RHC as well. However, this does not cover necessary operating expenses like the director’s salary and other overhead expenses. The board has applied for several grants to cover this shortfall, including with the City of Riverton. This year, they were among $735k in applications competing for only $230k in grant funds offered by the city, but none of their grant proposals were successful.
Director Carol Chizek explains that while other local charities also provide food and clothing, the RHC is the only non-profit organization in Riverton that provides emergency assistance for rent and utilities.
“Without our services,” she said, “our clients could have their utilities shut off and could even face eviction from their homes. This is especially critical in the winter months when local homeless shelters may be full and families, including those with young children, may have few or no options for necessary shelter. We treat our applicants with respect and help them afford the dignity and safety of staying in their own homes with necessary utilities.”
In 2023, the RHC helped 350 applicants with food, clothing, rent, utilities, infant care products and gas cards. Their area of service includes Riverton, Hudson and Shoshoni. An office in Lander covers the balance of Fremont County. They also partner with and provide referrals to and vouchers for clothing at Lydia’s Closet.
Carol hopes that sufficient funds will be raised through WyoGives to cover operating expenses in 2024. If those needs are met, the RHC also hopes to offer much-needed classes on budgeting and personal finance. Otherwise, the RHC may have to close their doors. The Wyoming Day of Giving is only one day, statewide, from midnight to midnight on 7/10/24. Donations can easily be made during that time online using this link. The RHC also accepts donations directly year-round. The RHC is also listed among Wyoming’s 211 community resources services.
The Riverton Help Center is a private, nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization that was founded in 2014 by Sue Rector (current board president). Our mission is to provide much-needed services to families and individuals who are currently experiencing homelessness/and or other life situations that create difficulties in meeting their basic needs. Our primary service is to provide rental and utility assistance to individuals and families in danger of being evicted from their homes or having their utilities disconnected due to past due payments. We have a food pantry for anyone who is in need, primarily serving the homeless population in our community. Other services we provide include clothing for adults and children, baby and hygiene supplies, fast food meal cards, fuel cards for emergency travel needs, limited bus passes for local travel, assistance with prescription medications and
other limited services for special circumstances. We also make referrals to our community partner agencies and other community resources as needed. Please visit our website or our Facebook page or contact us at [email protected] or 307-463-0799. Hours: Monday from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.