Just before the school year kicked off, Food Bank of Wyoming helped provide nourishing food to 520 families in Gillette during an annual back-to-school event hosted in tandem with The Salvation Army of Gillette and the Gillette Assistance League, along with several other local organizations. Families lined up to receive essentials like backpacks, food, school supplies, and haircuts to help set kids up for success, with Food Bank of Wyoming supplying food to fill fridges and pantries and generous donors providing school supplies to fill backpacks, ensuring students have a food-secure start to the school year.
“This is such a huge, huge help,” shared China, who attended the event with her four kids. “I’m a single mom, so trying to afford school supplies for four kids is kind of hard. It’s been hard getting food lately.”
Food Bank of Wyoming provided its Gillette mobile pantry partner with fresh produce, staple food items, and kid-friendly snacks, which were distributed to families during the event. An incredible 76 volunteers from every corner of the Gillette community showed up to lend a helping hand at the mobile pantry and assist families in need. With child hunger rates on the rise in Wyoming, events like this are more important than ever to ensure no child goes to school without the nourishment they need to thrive.
“We were able to help 520 families , which is incredible,” said Shelly Swierkowski, Food Bank of Wyoming’s Development Manager. “It was a wonderful event and we are grateful to have been a part of it.”
Another mother getting food and supplies shared part of her story with us, too. “I know a lot of families that struggle,” said Jennifer, who attended the event with her 9-year-old son, Carter. “It’s hard for me, as a mom with a child with special needs, to get enough hours [at work] and still be the mom I need to be. So having a great community that supports us is amazing.”
Since 2017, when the Gillette Assistance League joined The Salvation Army as a partner in this back-to-school kick-off, the event has grown into a community tradition. Taking place the second Saturday in August, the event is held at the First United Methodist Church and continues to grow with more resources, programs, and school necessities each year.
“We’re very grateful for the amazing donations, organizations, and volunteers who showed up and supported kids in the community. We believe children are our future, and we are investing in them, their nutrition, and their education to help families along the way,” says The Salvation Army of Gillette Executive Director Jennifer Nell.
