CHEYENNE — First Lady Jennie Gordon’s Wyoming Hunger Initiative in partnership with the Hughes Charitable Foundation hosted its fifth regional summit in southwest Wyoming recently to bring folks together who are working in the space of food insecurity and to honor volunteers. Two volunteers from Pinedale were recognized at the event, Julie Huntley of the Pinedale Community BakPak Program and Diana Simpson of The Pinedale Community Food Basket.

The Pinedale Community BakPak Program was founded in 2018 to alleviate food insecurity for local youth, ensuring kids and families have enough food to eat. Volunteers work with school counselors to deliver BakPaks each week to kids who might not otherwise have enough food over the weekend. Hundreds of students and their families benefit annually, with more than 800 BakPaks distributed each school year.

The Pinedale Community Food Basket, located at 104 N. Bridger Avenue in Pinedale, offers nearly 30 categories of used and new goods at generous prices, proceeds from the sales support the nonprofit’s food distribution programs.

Wyoming Hunger Initiative was launched in 2019 with two tenants in mind: one, to never reinvent the wheel and two, to be in all twenty-three Wyoming counties. There are grassroots efforts in every Wyoming county dedicated to reducing hunger and combating food insecurity. Instead, Wyoming Hunger Initiative aims to increase awareness and support for the work of local anti-hunger organizations statewide.

“Through the relationships that have been developed across the state specific to food insecurity, Wyoming Hunger Initiative has identified partners in every community which has resulted in opportunities to network, share resources, and collaborate,” said First Lady Jennie Gordon. “Ultimately, this summit will lead southwest Wyoming forward together while also producing realistic action items that are already underway.”

The event kicked off with a volunteer recognition celebration where anti-hunger organizations in central Wyoming nominated a volunteer from their organization to be recognized. Without the countless volunteers across the county, this work wouldn't be possible. 

The following volunteers were recognized at this event:
• Julie Huntley, Pinedale Community BakPak Program

• Diana Simpson, The Pinedale Community Food Basket
• All Volunteers, Jackson Cupboard
• Mary Failoni, Kemmerer Food Bank
• Erin Gardner, Afton Food Pantry
• Kayla Grisamer, Lincoln Self Reliance, Inc.
• Michael Hobby, Alpine Food Bank
• Pat Kelley, From the Heart Ministries
• Lani Matthews, Hole Food Rescue
• Max and Mary Merritt, Afton Friday Food Bags
• Lynne Myers, The Senior Center of Jackson Hole
• Randy and Robyn Reedy, Presbyterian Church in Jackson Hole
• Kay Rossiter, The Lord's Storehouse
• Nancy Terracciano, Good Samaritan Mission 

It is safe to say that these folks are “all in” when it comes to fighting food insecurity in Wyoming. 

Wyoming Hunger Initiative seeks to find and support Wyoming solutions to the challenge of food insecurity, which affects approximately 86,000 residents statewide. Launched in October 2019, Wyoming Hunger Initiative is the official initiative of Wyoming's First Lady Jennie Gordon and is governed by the Board of Directors of the Wyoming Governor's Residence Foundation, a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. For more information, visit www.nohungerwyo.org.