(Fremont County, WY) – First Lady Jennie Gordon’s Wyoming Hunger Initiative is proud to announce the newest Food from the Farm + Ranch program called Beef for Backpacks. Thanks to the generosity of five Fremont County Fair donors, youth, who may not otherwise have access to food on the weekend, are now receiving local, high-quality protein in the form of beef sticks.
The pilot program took place in Laramie County where 1,100 bags were packed weekly to provide weekend food options for local children who might not otherwise have access to food away from school. After a successful pilot, the program expanded statewide and beef sticks have been distributed across the Cowboy state this fall to reach children with an excellent source of local protein.
Lander’s The Friday Back Pack Program is currently serving 100 youth per weekend and Kinnear’s Sunnyside Church of the Nazarene Tote’s of Hope program is currently serving multiple families per week; thus 2 beef was needed to provide the 4,000 beef sticks required to have enough sticks for the entire school year. Rocky Mountain Agronomy Center, LLC, Fluid Pro, Riverton Tire & Oil, Wind River Oilfield Service, and Gail Peterson made it possible for four beef to be donated to Beef for Backpacks for the 2023-2024 school year. In addition, Ryan Hedges of Lander volunteered to hold the beef until the designated processing date and Bobby Lane of Riverton transported the beef to 307 Meat Company.
“Being a producer myself, my initial vision for Wyoming Hunger Initiative was to encompass a component of agriculture that would be part of the solution to food insecurity in our state. I am beyond excited about this partnership between so many entities working together to ensure longevity of the program,” said First Lady Jennie Gordon.
Wyoming Hunger Initiative’s partnership with 307 Meat Company in Laramie, Wyoming Stock Growers Association, and Wyoming Beef Council to provide high-quality, locally raised protein in a portable form is a Wyoming solution to hunger. As a pilot program in early 2023, Beef for Backpacks utilized Wyoming resources to support the work of a program that makes a real impact for children.
Beef for Backpacks has been made possible thanks to the generosity of so many to include Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming, John P. Ellbogen Foundation, Northrop Grumman, Jonah Bank of Wyoming, and the Catholic Diocese.
About Wyoming Hunger Initiative
Wyoming Hunger Initiative seeks to find and support Wyoming solutions to the challenge of food insecurity, which affects approximately 86,000 residents statewide. Launched in October 2019, Wyoming Hunger Initiative is the official initiative of Wyoming’s First Lady Jennie Gordon and is governed by the Board of Directors of the Wyoming Governor’s Residence Foundation, a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. For more information, visit www.nohungerwyo.org.