Happy Holidays from all of us
to all of our Hunger Relief Partners! |
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December is one of the busiest months for our frontline Hunger Relief Partners. It is the time of year that people focus on gathering around food, and Food Bank of Wyoming wants everyone to have the ingredients for hot, nutritious meals this holiday season. Families, veterans, older adults, and vulnerable individuals across Wyoming will have access to food and other necessities this month and every month of the year thanks to your passion, hard work, and partnership.
We know that the need across the state is high right now and could be for the foreseeable future. Food Bank of Wyoming is focused on sourcing food at the lowest prices, making “in time” deliveries for your distributions, and providing free fresh produce to our Hunger Relief Partners. We imagine that the increase in need has put a strain on resources, so please let us know how we can additionally support you and your community over the winter months.
You are working hard this holiday season, so we hope you are able to enjoy yourself and spend time with friends and family. Take time to reflect on the work you do and know that you provide hope to our Wyoming neighbors in need. Thank you for the care you give your communities and your continued partnership.
Happy Holidays, Rachel Bailey |
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Important Dates
December 25 – Christmas Day; Food Bank of Wyoming is closed January 1 – New Year's Day; Food Bank of Wyoming is closed
We are thankful for your partnership, hard work, and dedication to helping Wyoming communities. No mobile pantries are scheduled for the above dates. All partner deliveries have been scheduled around these closures. |
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Produce Express Routes
Food Bank of Wyoming is always working to provide more to our partner agencies and we recently launched a fresh produce express route program! The initiative has been in the works for a year and was put into action in mid-
October. Currently, our logistics team is working to fine-tune this pilot program that provides regular shipments of produce to our partners in Western and Central Wyoming, apart from the Agency Express ordering process. Here is how the program will work: - The Programs Team works with a partner to determine the monthly delivery size.
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Each partner receives pallets according to their pre-determined capacity.
- Produce is from donated and/or purchased quantities, as available.
We want to thank all partners who are already participating! Each round of deliveries is running smoother than the last, and we are hopeful that the pilot will become a permanent offering with expansion to additional regions. |
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| Holiday Foods
For the holiday season, you are encouraged to check Agency Express for additional choices as they become available.
If there's one thing we know about the holidays, it’s that unexpected donations and bulk purchased items become available when we least expect it! |
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Fiscal Year 2023 Impact Report Food Bank of Wyoming’s Fiscal Year 2023 Impact Report is now up on our website! The report highlights the collective impact of our work to nourish Wyoming neighbors facing hunger and shares stats and data on how many pounds of food were distributed, the number of people served, and stories about the neighbors that we are impacting. Additionally, there is a great map broken down by county that highlights what our partners help us do! Thank you! |
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Partner Spotlight: Wright Community Assistance
Vicky Schlidt started Wright Community Assistance in 1986. It has since had two other leaders: Wayne Vaughan from 2016-2023 and, as of June 2023, Gail Dunkle. The association’s big fall fundraiser is “Baskets of Hope,” which is a dinner and auction that attracts around 100 people dedicated to supporting the organization and its mission. Because of support like this, the organization is serving more families than ever before.
Wright Community Assistance’s food pantry operates on a client-choice model where neighbors have the luxury of shopping for themselves. The pantry also supplies food for other hunger-relief groups: the local “Blessings in a Backpack” program, the indigent snack fund at the local library, and the hallway snack stations in the junior/senior high school. Each Christmas, Wright Community Assistance also has donors who “adopt" a family.
Aside from its food pantry, Wright Community Assistance also helps with other income-based services such as TEFAP; financial support for rent, utilities, and medical bills; and vouchers to shop in their thrift store, the Community Closet. Something new they are starting up is a “fire resistant” closet with supplies for oil field and mine workers before they start their first day on the job. Executive director Dunkle shared that she is extremely thankful for the no-charge items available from Food Bank of Wyoming, as this helps provide a variety of foods for all of their programs.
The organization’s goal is to offer a sense of hope through the services provided. “Food is the first line of support we offer in this community, but hope is the foremost!” said Dunkle.
Her team serves neighbors like L, who was able to access food assistance and who was provided a free eye exam and new trifocal glasses. L commented, “I can read again and feel beautiful!”
By preserving a neighbor’s dignity, Dunkle and her team can give back a spark of hope and, with that, a positive look forward to a better future. |
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Food Rescue Update
Food Rescue partners, please remember to get your Food Rescue agreements back to us as soon as possible. Odessa Oldham, our Food Sourcing Manager, is working on food rescue efforts across the state in hopes of increasing donated food for partners. In order to maintain stores and potentially grow, the agreements are needed to assess the needs of each community. |
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Reading your Agency Receipt
All of the information you need for bookkeeping, tracking, and payment is on your "Agency Receipt" (see below). Please remember to only sign the receipt after verifying the accuracy of your order. This receipt is your only copy, please share it with your bookkeeper and save it for your records. If you are missing items, notify the HelpDesk at 307-265-2172 so your billing statement can be adjusted for the missing items.
Below are a few of the identification items that will be on your document:
The Program Number is the specific account that has ordered this shipment. If your agency has more than one program, please align this number with the correct shopper and service.
The PO Reference Number is autogenerated by Agency Express when your shopper has successfully submitted their order. This number will appear on the confirmation email that is sent to the shopper as soon as the order has been submitted.
The Invoice (AO) Number is the actual tracking number used by our fulfillment teams. This number is the one that your finance team will use when paying the invoice. This is also the number that you reference for any assistance you may need on the order from our HelpDesk Team.
The Shipment Method is the qualifier that lets our team know if it was a Delivery (by one of our trucks) or a Pick-up (at the Fresh Food Center.)
*A brief reminder that the Order Total is the amount due including any delivery fees and excluding any grant funds applied. This is the amount that will be billed. This total will not be reflected on Agency Express, as Agency Express does not include any delivery fees, adjustments for missing items, or inventory changes that may impact the final total of the invoice. (See the August newsletter for this highlight.)
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Disaster Food Safety Tips
Severe winter weather often results in power outages that could compromise the safety of stored food. Here are some tips from the USDA that can help keep food safe and help your pantry and community: If you expect or experience a power outage: - The refrigerator will keep food at a safe temperature (below 40°F) for up to four hours if it is unopened.
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A full freezer will hold a safe temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full and the doors remain closed).
- Always keep an appliance thermometer in both the refrigerator and freezer in the event you ever need to check the temperature.
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Before a storm, freeze water in small plastic storage bags or containers and place them around the food in the refrigerator and freezer to help keep food cold.
- Freeze refrigerated items, such as leftovers, milk, and fresh meat and poultry that you may not need immediately — this helps keep them at a safe temperature longer.
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Consider getting 50 pounds of dry or block ice if a lengthy power outage is possible. This amount of ice should keep an 18-cubic-foot freezer cold for two days.
- Store food items close together in the freezer — this “igloo” effect helps the food stay cold longer.
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Keep a few days' worth of ready-to-eat foods on hand that do not require cooking or refrigeration.
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| When is Your Order Deadline? |
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The best practice is to check the order deadline for your delivery/pick-up date and make certain to submit your order by 2:00 p.m. the day before that deadline. (This is especially important if you have more than one delivery/pick-up date a month.)
This timeline will allow you to receive the order confirmation email that is sent to the recorded email of the shopper making the purchase. Always check junk/spam mailboxes if you haven’t received this notification within 45 minutes; you will have time to call the HelpDesk at 307-265-2172. One of our team members can go into Agency Express to confirm that the purchase has been processed. If it hasn’t, it will give us time to help you place the order you want
If you would like a refresher on how to navigate the Agency Express platform, please contact helpdesk@wyomingfoodbank.org and you can schedule that one-on-one opportunity. |
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USDA Data on Food Insecurity
Last month, the USDA released its report Household Food Security in the United States in 2022. The data is sobering. Food insecurity increased for nearly every subgroup and population described in the report, including children. Please take a moment to review the report and stay informed about food insecurity in our nation. Farm Bill
The current Farm Bill expired on October 1, 2023. Nutrition programs like SNAP and TEFAP are on autopilot until a new bill is passed. Check out Feeding America's Farm Bill Legislation Watch Page, which includes our network’s Farm Bill priorities, fast facts, and an overview of this important legislation. Check out Feeding America’s new Farm Bill video here, and feel free to share it on your social media pages for educational purposes! Get involved!
Are you interested in sharing why you care about fighting hunger? Email Rachel Bailey to learn more about opportunities to engage in public policy work! |
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Get Ready for January, the Other
Back-to-School Month
August is the obvious back-to-school prep month when everyone is shopping for the perfect backpack, supplies, and sneakers. But December is another time of year when planning ahead can pay big dividends. During this last month of the year, most of our partner agencies are busy with holiday season hullabaloo and end-of-the-year tasks. However, this can also be a great time of year to reorganize, revamp, clean, and stock your agency. A little prep now, while December volunteers are abundant, can go a long way to provide a smoother January and February when funding, volunteers, and time can be difficult to find. Here are a few ways to start prepping for the end of the holiday season and “back-to-school” season round two!
The most important thing to do is to plan for your team’s success. When your schedule is busy, or when your budget is tighter, planning can be the difference between serving your neighbors vs. serving your neighbors well. Have a goal for each week in December and January: what do you wish could be streamlined, enhanced, and purged? This goes for everything, including paperwork, equipment, volunteer opportunities, distribution models, and fundraising. Does this seem like a lot? Enlist volunteers! They’ll enjoy having an opportunity to make a real, lasting impact on your organization.
Next, take steps to restock your pantry with colder weather back-to-school essentials that make lunches inviting and busy weeknight dinners less stressful. You probably won't have room for anything extra in December, but if your next order from us is scheduled for early January, it's time to start thinking about what you could stock up on now. What do families want or need the most during the winter months? Take a moment to look at the items listed on Agency Express and think shelf shelf-stable items first.
This is also a great opportunity to clean your pantry areas and do a quick inventory. After the holiday rush has emptied your shelves, take EVERYTHING out of the refrigerator and freezer. Cleaning these two can help your team be more organized for incoming foods. Additionally, ask volunteers to help clean and inventory administrative areas, desks, filing cabinets, restrooms – even the area around your entranceway. Make certain that smaller appliances get cleaned, too. Finally, sanitize surfaces that are touched a lot, such as door knobs or drawer handles.
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Inclement Weather Closure Process As we move into the winter season, please be aware that Food Bank of Wyoming may make closure determinations. We will post closure information on our website, social media, and phone messaging system. Please refer to the following guidelines for pickups and deliveries:
For Scheduled Fresh Food Center Pick-Ups: Day of Closure - Partners will be contacted for rescheduling opportunities.
For Scheduled Deliveries: Day of Closure - HelpDesk will contact partners about a canceled delivery.
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Deliveries will be rescheduled as soon as the weather permits and per the schedule, as communicated by the Logistics Manager.
- Food Bank of Wyoming's HelpDesk will communicate with affected partners.
Please ensure that the necessary accommodations are in place for volunteers and clients to remain safe and warm while attending a distribution. |
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This institution is an equal opportunity provider. |
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