First Lady Jennie Gordon’s Wyoming Hunger Initiative and the Wyoming Governor’s Residence Foundation will allocate $40,000 in April to anti-hunger nonprofit organizations in each of Wyoming’s 23 counties. The funds will be directed specifically to feed families during this time of crisis. A second round of funding is planned to be distributed in May to ensure resources continue to be available to those in need.
While grassroots efforts are underway in every Wyoming county dedicated to reducing hunger and combating food insecurity, the current COVID-19 crisis has exponentially increased demand on resources statewide.
“We know that there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution to hunger,” First Lady Jennie Gordon said. “The Wyoming Hunger Initiative is committed to supporting the inspiring anti-hunger warriors who fight every day to find the best answer for their community.”
A portion of the funds will be allocated to Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies to support mobile food pantries already planned for the month of April.
The mobile food pantries are scheduled as follows:
- Albany County – April 11
- Fremont County – April 11 (click here for details about our local food drive)
- Crook County – April 16
- Campbell County – April 18
- Sheridan County – April 25
For counties not visited by mobile food pantries in April, local nonprofits will receive funds to support food distribution efforts, either by a local food pantry or a supporting organization identified by the Wyoming Hunger Initiative. Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies may offer additional matching funds for partner organizations through Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies.
The Wyoming Hunger Initiative’s efforts are made possible by generous donors, including Black Hills Energy, Rocky Mountain Power Foundation, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc., Wyoming Business Alliance, Hughes Family Foundation, and numerous private donors from across the state.
“Jennie and I are so grateful for the generous outpouring of support from Wyoming’s citizens for the First Lady’s Initiative,” said Governor Gordon. “When Jennie chose childhood hunger as her cause, we never imagined it would be this critical for our state. Her work has already made a positive impact on the children of Wyoming. Now, during this crisis, this effort is demonstrating how Wyoming people take care of our neighbors in need.”
The Wyoming Governor’s Residence Foundation Board works closely with the First Lady to ensure small projects around the facilities can be funded; it also provides support for the First Lady’s Initiative. For more information, visit www.nohungerwyo.org.