Happy New Year! We hope that amongst creating holiday baskets and food distributions you were able to enjoy time with family and friends. Over the last few months, Food Bank of Wyoming saw an increase in food distribution statewide in response to the number of Wyoming individuals and families seeking food assistance. Thank you for the hours and care you put into supporting your communities throughout the holidays and winter months. You are helping Wyoming thrive by nourishing people, strengthening communities, and alleviating food insecurity.
Looking forward, we see opportunities across the state. Thanks to the USDA’s Local Food Purchase Agreement (LFPA) grant, Food Bank of Wyoming will be able to purchase directly from local producers to feed Wyoming people experiencing food insecurity with Wyoming-grown protein and fresh produce.
In response to partners' wishes and our goal to continue to increase the amount of available fresh produce, we will continue our FRESH Express Pilot Program in Western and Central Wyoming with the hope of expanding it even further. And we will continue to be present in communities across the state, working alongside our partners to ensure we are supporting you to serve communities with nourishing food and other resources. We are grateful to you for believing that all Wyomingites matter! |
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Wyoming Food Pantry Survey Reminder
NourishedRx is conducting a survey on behalf of the Department of Family Services on Wyoming's food system. Food Bank of Wyoming is a key stakeholder in this assessment and we’re asking for a response from each partner pantry in our network. Thank you to the 28 pantries who have already responded.
We are seeking to understand the capacity of the food distribution system to maximize state and local distribution of food and minimize waste of donated and publicly purchased food. Your participation will help enhance the food distribution system in Wyoming and reduce hunger throughout the state. In exchange for your time and expertise, you will receive a $25 gift card following the completion of the survey! Click here to take the survey: Wyoming Food Pantry Capacity Survey Please complete the survey by February 9, 2024. |
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Important Dates January 26 – Staff Training; Food Bank of Wyoming closes at 11:30 a.m.
We are thankful for your partnership, hard work, and dedication to helping Wyoming communities. No mobile pantries are scheduled for the above date. All partner deliveries have been scheduled around this closure. |
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Upton Community Food Bank’s Holiday Baskets
Everybody needs help sometimes, and the Upton Community Food Bank is there for their neighbors! The pantry is open two times a week, on Mondays from 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. and on Thursdays from 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
The pantry is administered through the church's 501(c)3 and is staffed by five devoted volunteers. The team strives to support their neighbors experiencing food insecurity, whether people have just arrived in Upton, have unexpected bills, or are perhaps between jobs. In addition to providing food and other necessities, they also provide SNAP application forms to neighbors who can use extra support. The holidays can be especially difficult for households facing food insecurity, and that is why putting together and distributing holiday baskets are such a major focus for the Upton Community Food Bank. It takes about four weeks from sign-ups to delivery for these holiday baskets to come to fruition. During 2023, Upton’s dedicated volunteers helped their community provide 47 families with Thanksgiving baskets and 60 households with Christmas baskets.
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Introducing Vivery!
Have you seen the new search tool on Food Bank of Wyoming’s Find Food page?
Using a new platform called Vivery, neighbors can now search for food resources using several parameters, such as days of the week open, types of foods offered, additional services offered, and more. This year, partners will also have the option to add information to their listings directly, as well as update their listings or make schedule changes in real-time.
This is designed to be a comprehensive list of pantries and meal programs that individuals and families can use to identify neighborhood resources. We're excited to share all of the possibilities that are available on this new platform with you. Our HelpDesk will reach out to you via a phone call and an email in late January with more information. Stay tuned! |
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| Reading Your Truck Route Sheet |
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Here is another look at how to read your
Truck Route Sheets. In the November newsletter, we highlighted the information that you need to locate when deciding when to place your orders. In this issue, we are reviewing Delivery Insights that your team needs to know. |
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Making the Most of Your Grant Funds
Does your agency have grant funding to spend on food? Food Bank of Wyoming can be your go-to source for high-quality, low-cost items to fulfill grant requirements for: - Nutritional snacks for kids
- Culturally responsive items
- Local foods
Beyond items available on Partner Express, we also have collaborative purchasing options. Whether your agency is seeking a larger quantity of an item we already have or developing a plan to stretch grant dollars, we are here to help. |
| 2024 Billing Cycle Reminder Here is a link to Food Bank of Wyoming's billing cycle and payment processes. It outlines important information about your receipts, invoices, and statements, and includes a quick overview of our billing cycle and how your agency can pay by credit card.
Our goal is to ensure that our partners receive accurate orders and statements. We appreciate your partnership and all the wonderful things you do for our community. If you have any questions please contact Cathy Stepp at 307-232-4015. |
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Inclement Weather
Because it's winter in Wyoming, please be aware that Food Bank of Wyoming may make closure determinations based on weather. We will post closure information on our website, social media, and phone messaging system. Please refer to the following guidelines for pick-ups and deliveries: - For Scheduled Fresh Food Center Pick-Ups: Day of Closure
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Partners will be contacted for rescheduling opportunities.
- For Scheduled Deliveries: Day of Closure
- HelpDesk will contact partners about a canceled delivery.
- 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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Helping Neighbors Build Food Plans A nourishing eating plan is important for every Wyomingite. The benefits of nutritious eating add up over time, bite by bite. Small changes matter. Help your clients start simple with
MyPlate Plan Widget. It's simple and FREE!
MyPlate is now on Instagram! Each week there are recipes, tips for nutritious eating, and more with themes like #MyPlateMondays, #RecipeThursdays, and #BudgetFriendlyFridays. Be one of the first to follow along @MyPlate_gov.
Download the
Start Simple with MyPlate mini-poster in English or Spanish. |
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The Truth About Expiration Dates
Food dates, or "expiration dates," are not indicators of food safety — they are simply the manufacturer's suggestion as to when their product is at its best quality. On the USDA website it states that, except for infant formula, product dating is not required.
Below are the definitions from the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to help understand what each printed date means.
Best If Used By/Before: This date serves as a suggestion for when the taste and quality of food are at their peak. It is not a safety date.
Use By: This is the suggested date by which to consume. If food is a day or two past the use-by date, evaluate the quality of the food before consuming it. It is not a safety date except when used on infant formula.
Sell By: This is not a safety date. It is to help retailers determine how long an item should remain on the shelf. According to the IFT, "one-third of a food's shelf-life remains after the sell-by date for the consumer to use at home." Freeze By: This date indicates when a product should be frozen to maintain peak quality. It is not a purchase or safety date. Please download this flyer and share it with your clients as needed. |
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Shopper Timeline Best Practices! Providing the most up-to-date inventory and fresh items via delivery to our Hunger Relief Partners is a top priority for Food Bank of Wyoming. Our HelpDesk team recommends
checking the order deadline for your delivery/pick-up date and making certain to submit your order by 2:00 p.m. the day prior to that deadline.
(This is especially important if you have more than one delivery/pick-up date a month.) |
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Nutrition Page Updates!
We know the importance of connecting our neighbors with quality, nutritious foods. But sometimes making meals can be daunting. Your guests can find some easy, nourishing recipes with everyday ingredients on our website.
Supporting the health and hope of our communities involves more than providing food; we also want to provide knowledge. Bookmark our recipe library for recipes using affordable ingredients. |
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Winter Tips for Your Clients, Volunteers, and Staff! With winter upon us, we have these tips for winter distributions: - Implement or continue a drive-through model if possible
- Assess your organization's ability to serve clients indoors
- Practice social distancing
- Provide hand sanitizer
- Clean and sanitize surfaces often
- Set occupancy limits (for example: one person per household)
- Take care of yourself both physically and mentally
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Food Bank of Wyoming: Join Our Team
We are currently looking for Wyoming residents who are passionate about supporting our neighbors experiencing food insecurity. Want to do good with good people? Food Bank of Wyoming works daily to ignite the power of community to nourish people facing hunger. If this sounds like the way you would like to spend your day, check out the positions at this link!
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This institution is an equal opportunity provider. |
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