Wyoming Governors Residence Foundation

ENHANCEMENT OF THE WYOMING GOVERNOR'S RESIDENCE AND SUPPORT OF INITIATIVES OF THE FIRST SPOUSE.

ENHANCEMENT OF THE WYOMING GOVERNOR'S RESIDENCE

WYOMING HUNGER INITIATIVE - WE BELIEVE CHILDHOOD HUNGER IN WYOMING IS A PROBLEM THAT CAN BE SOLVED. WE WORK TO PREVENT FOOD INSECURITY BY INCREASING AWARENESS AND SUPPORT FOR THE WORK OF LOCAL ANTI-HUNGER ORGANIZATIONS STATEWIDE AND BY ADVOCATING FOR A FUTURE WHERE NO CHILD FACES THE SCHOOL DAY ON AN EMPTY STOMACH. NOURISHED KIDS, HEALTHY FAMILIES, AND THRIVING COMMUNITIES: THAT'S THE GOAL OF WYOMING HUNGER INITIATIVE.FOOD FROM THE FARM + RANCH UTILIZES WYOMING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS TO COMBAT FOOD INSECURITY. THE PROGRAM MEETS TWO CHALLENGES: HOW TO PROVIDE EAGER FARMERS AND RANCHERS WITH A WAY TO HELP THEIR NEIGHBORS IN NEED, AND HOW TO COVER THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT THE FOOD BANK SYSTEM CAN AFFORD FOR EXTERNAL SOURCES OF PROTEIN AND THE COST OF PROCESSING IN-STATE FOR HIGH-QUALITY LOCAL PROTEIN.WYOMING HUNGER INITIATIVE LAUNCHED A NEW CAMPAIGN UNDER THE FOOD FROM THE FARM + RANCH BANNER CALLED GROW A LITTLE EXTRA. TOGETHER WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING EXTENSION, THE CENT$IBLE NUTRITION PROGRAM, AND THE MASTER GARDENER PROGRAM, WYOMING HUNGER INITIATIVE DISTRIBUTED SEEDS TO GARDENERS AS WELL AS PROVIDED INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS FOR ORGANIZATIONS WHO WERE INTERESTED IN GROWING ADDITIONAL PRODUCE TO DONATE LOCALLY TO ANTI-HUNGER ORGANIZATIONS. WYOMING HUNGER INITIATIVE STRENGTHENED ITS STRUCTURE FOR COMMUNICATION ACROSS WYOMING THIS YEAR IN ITS REGIONAL DIRECTORS PROGRAM. WYOMING HUNGER INITIATIVE REGIONAL DIRECTORS ARE CHOSEN BY THE FIRST LADY TO REPRESENT A REGION BASED ON THEIR AWARENESS OF FOOD INSECURITY OR ROLE WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITY DIRECTLY RELATED TO FOOD INSECURITY. REGIONAL DIRECTORS HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED MULTIPLE SURROUNDING COUNTIES TO BRING A NETWORK TOGETHER TO SHARE IDEAS AND VOICE CONCERNS THAT MAY BE SOLVED ON A REGIONAL LEVEL OR BE ELEVATED TO THE WYOMING HUNGER INITIATIVE FOR STATEWIDE COORDINATION. A REGIONAL DIRECTORS RETREAT WAS HELD THIS YEAR TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNICATION AND RESOURCES NECESSARY TO CONTINUE THIS WORK. THEY WORK TO CREATE A PLATFORM FOR COMMUNICATION WHERE FOOD INSECURITY CAN BE SOLVED AS A STATE, TOGETHER.WYOMING HUNGER INITIATIVE PARTNERED WITH THE WYOMING GAME & FISH DEPARTMENT, WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, AND PROCESSORS FROM AROUND THE STATE FOR THE SECOND YEAR OF FOOD FROM THE FIELD. THIS PROGRAM ENABLES HUNTERS TO DONATE THEIR MEAT TO LOCAL PROCESSORS WHO IN TURN WILL PREPARE IT FOR LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS, WHERE IT MAY THEN BE DISTRIBUTED TO PEOPLE IN NEED. WYOMING HUNGER INITIATIVE RESPONDED TO THE RISING MEAL DEBT THAT WAS ACCRUED PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC. GIVEN THE FACT THAT MEALS WERE FREE DURING THE 2020-2021 AND 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR, IT WAS THE HOPE OF WYOMING HUNGER INITIATIVE TO ENSURE THAT STUDENTS STARTED WITH A CLEAN SLATE FOR THE 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR WHEN SCHOOL MEALS HAD TO BE PAID FOR AGAIN. THE MEAL DEBT ACROSS THE STATE WAS PAID OFF IN COLLABORATION WITH DONORS INTERESTED IN THIS WORK. WE WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THIS APPROACH FOR DEBT MOVING FORWARD IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS WYOMING. ALSO, DURING 2021, WYOMING HUNGER INITIATIVE PROVIDED FUNDING TO MORE THAN 130 NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN THE FORM OF COVID-19 EMERGENCY RELIEF AND GRANTS. WYOMING HUNGER INITIATIVE GRANTS WERE INTENDED TO SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE AND LONGEVITY OF ANTI-HUNGER ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS LONG-TERM, SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS TO FOOD INSECURITY ACROSS THE STATE.