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Woman and child with apple.

HAPPENING NOW: 2X MATCH

This Hunger Action Month, your gift will be DOUBLE matched for 2X the impact for our neighbors.

Give now for 2X the impact for Hunger Action Month!

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Woman and child with apple.

2X MATCH DEADLINE

Now through September 30, your Hunger Action Month gift will be matched to help provide 2X the nourishment for our neighbors.

Give by September 30 for 2X the impact for Hunger Action Month!

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Mother and children with seasonal produce.

A TIME TO GIVE

Help us provide nourishing food to our neighbors experiencing hunger before Thanksgiving on 11/28.

Help us provide nourishing food this Thanksgiving.

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Girl with food box.

2024 Holiday Matching Challenge

Make 2X the impact for our Wyoming neighbors experiencing food insecurity this holiday season!

Make 2X the impact for our Wyoming neighbors this holiday season!

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Looking Ahead to 2025 with Determination and Innovation

Food bank distribution

As folks set goals to kick off the new year, here at Food Bank of Wyoming we’re also excited to share some of our 2025 ambitions. Across our programs and departments, our staff is hard at work brainstorming ways to more efficiently and effectively support our communities with the food necessary to thrive. Join us in looking ahead to the new year with hope and anticipation, knowing that, thanks to your support, Food Bank of Wyoming will be able to nourish our neighbors across the state experiencing hunger.

Pinedale Mobile Pantry_wyoming_food boxes

FRESH Express Route

We are excited to build on the success of the FRESH Express Route, which was launched in October 2023 to deliver produce to 50+ Hunger Relief Partners. This innovative approach has increased access to nutritious food for communities across the state, providing more than 828,000 pounds of fresh produce since it launched! In the coming year, we aim to expand the FRESH Express Route into southeastern Wyoming, bringing more fresh, nutritious food to our neighbors in underserved areas. Additionally, we are focused on optimizing route delivery to improve efficiency and sustainability. With these advancements, we remain committed to supporting our Hunger Relief Partners and ensuring that Wyoming families have access to the food they need to thrive.

Strengthening Food Access in Tribal Communities

In partnership with food banks in South Dakota, North Dakota, and Montana, Food Bank of Wyoming is a part of the 104 West Collaborative. The Collaborative is focused on fostering equitable food access across tribal communities in the region. Key priorities include expanding research to deepen understanding of the food-access landscape and building partnerships in tribal areas. Dedicated staffing and targeted training, such as trauma-informed services and community building, will equip teams to engage respectfully and effectively.

The Collaborative also aims to establish a shared fund to support innovative, community-led food access projects and develop a system for sharing data, insights, and resources across the four participating food banks, ensuring sustainability and broader impact. One such project that will begin in 2025 entails supporting the establishment of the Sweetgrass Food Lodges in collaboration with tribal community leaders on the Wind River Indian Reservation.

Participating in the Collaborative will go hand-in-hand with Food Bank of Wyoming’s continued investment in consistently providing culturally relevant foods through our monthly mobile food pantries and Food for Kids programs. 

Food Bank of Wyoming Sheridan Mobile Pantry

Reach and Resiliency

In partnership with the WY Department of Family Services, Food Bank of Wyoming is proud of the progress made during the second phase of our USDA Reach and Resiliency grant. Over the past year, we’ve focused on increasing access to TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) in six underserved counties: Albany, Sheridan, Lincoln, Converse, Park, and Sublette. Through interviews, focus groups, and surveys, we identified key barriers faced by neighbors, such as transportation challenges, stigma, and limited access hours, and created solutions to enhance TEFAP utilization.

With six months remaining in this phase of the grant, we are focused on implementing tailored, county-specific strategies; expanding partnerships; and addressing infrastructure needs to strengthen food access in these communities. We remain committed to understanding and overcoming the barriers our neighbors face when it comes to accessing nourishing, affordable food, and are hopeful about the opportunity to continue this critical work with future USDA Reach and Resiliency funding.

Food bank distribution

USDA Local Food Purchasing Agreement Grant

With six months remaining in our current USDA Local Food Purchasing Agreement (LFPA) grant awarded in 2022, we’re proud to share that we’ve sourced fresh produce, dairy, proteins, and grains from over a dozen local and regional producers, totaling nearly 170,000 pounds of food. Odessa Oldham, Food Bank of Wyoming Food Sourcing Manager, has built relationships with producers across the state while providing training opportunities to producers looking to seek a USDA contract. We remain committed to feeding Wyoming food to Wyoming neighbors and are hopeful about the opportunity to participate in the next round of USDA LFPA grants, allowing us to continue building these impactful partnerships and supporting our community.

Food Rescue 

This year, we are eager to increase our overall food rescue donations by 2%, saving more high-quality food from going unused and instead putting it into the hands of Wyomingites. By growing our network of Food Rescue partners, including retailers and manufacturers, Food Bank of Wyoming will increase our sustainability while positively impacting our community. Part of this work will include building a relationship with the Wyoming State FFA to encourage youth to get involved with food rescue in their community.

people loading food boxes into a vehicle

State SNAP Advocacy

Food Bank of Wyoming was awarded a three-year grant from Feeding America to support work around SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) education, advocacy, and outreach work. Looking ahead, the goal is to do an awareness campaign to help normalize SNAP as a vital nutrition support system for Wyomingites by reducing stigma and advocating to remove barriers to access. With only 5% of Wyoming residents utilizing SNAP as of 2024, we hope to help bring awareness to the program that could potentially be a cornerstone of Wyoming’s hunger-relief infrastructure. 

Mobile Pantry visit in August 2024

Donor and Volunteer Engagement

We are focused on engaging with donors, volunteers, and like-minded organizations across the state. Our day-to-day operations of sourcing, purchasing, storing, and distributing food to and through our 150+ Hunger Relief Partners, 14+ mobile pantries, Food for Kids partners, and food boxes for older adults are fueled by generous donors and volunteers like you. In 2025, look for the Food Bank of Wyoming team out in your community and ask us how your donations and time are being used effectively and strategically to serve our neighbors! If you would like to see our work in action, we would love to give you a tour at our facility in Casper or join you at a partner site around the state. 

WY Family Volunteer event

Advisory Council

As we step into 2025, Food Bank of Wyoming is excited to announce the launch of our Advisory Council! This council will play a pivotal role in shaping our strategic direction and amplifying our impact on hunger relief across Wyoming. We are seeking passionate individuals dedicated to helping us nourish people facing hunger and fostering stronger communities. If you’re interested in applying or learning more, please email Executive Director Jill Stillwagon at jstillwagon@wyomingfoodbank.org.

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