TORRINGTON – Jennie Gordon, Wyoming’s First Lady, was in Torrington on February 20 to speak to several food assistance groups about available state resources and coordination efforts. She was joined by Tim Sheppard, Regional Director of the Wyoming Hunger Initiative Director. The Wyoming Hunger Initiative, started by Mrs. Gordon in 2019, provides resources and collaboration for organizations dedicated to helping those experiencing food insecurity. The Initiative is the home for many programs including Food from the Field, Grow a Little Extra, and Food from the Farm + Ranch. During her visit, she met with program leaders and volunteers, and at Lifeway Church, Eastern Wyoming College (EWC), the Goshen County School District (GCSD) Totes of Hope Program, Land of Goshen Ministries, and WyoHelp. Gordon’s visit underscored the collaborative spirit within Goshen County and the ongoing efforts to support individuals and families facing food insecurity. 

Gordon and Sheppard’s first stop of the day was a visit with the food pantry ministry leaders at Lifeway Church in Torrington. Gordon discussed success stories from other counties where faith-based groups were partnering with other non-profit organizations to maximize the impact on the community. Pastor Jeff Wolfington said that faith motivates them to meet practical needs, regardless of whether the recipient shares those beliefs. “We are blessed to play a small part in what God is doing in Goshen County. Being able to provide groceries is one way that we show Jesus’ love to our all of our neighbors. I appreciate that Mrs. Gordon was willing to give her time to let us know about state-wide resources that we can use to serve our community even more effectively.”

At Eastern Wyoming College, Gordon spoke with students and faculty about food assistance initiatives. Sergio Mendez, Director of Student Success and Testing Center, heads the EWC Student Pantry and expressed his appreciation for Gordon’s presence. He shared with her his dream of establishing a second food pantry location on campus. “I think it’s amazing for her to show support. She’s gone through several campuses, so for her to come visit us is amazing. This is one of those things where it’s a learning experience for me, so to have support from her really makes it seem like we could accomplish some of these big dreams that we have—high expectations. It’s not just a dream. There’s a purpose and a reality to it. And so having that, and the input from the students, I think we can go a long way.” Gordon spoke highly of the pantry, praising its openness and accessibility to students. She also recognized the college for hosting Cent$ible Nutrition classes, a program through the Wyoming Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) which teaches both students and adults about nutrition and cooking.

Next, Gordon and Sheppard visited the Goshen County School District Offices to speak with Cheryl Trimble, Compass Academy teacher and head of the “Totes for Hope” backpack program. The Totes for Hope program was started in 2010 by Marilyn Cotant and currently serves 388 students including some at local daycare and preschool programs. Superintendent Ryan Kramer emphasized the significance of Gordon’s visit. “It’s really acknowledgment of the hard work that our staff puts in. When you have anybody come down from the state to visit and we get an opportunity to showcase what we do and the hard work that so many people are putting in, it just makes it really gratifying for those staff members. It also supports all the work we’re seeing throughout our community and the need for our kids,” Kramer said. Gordon commended the district staff in addressing food insecurity in a multi-pronged approach which includes both the backpack program and taking advantage of federal funds to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students. She also remarked that GCSD students are unique in their willingness to provide assistance to fellow students. Trimble agreed, stating, “It’s amazing what students in Goshen are doing to support other students, like LFL students paying off student lunch debt.”

Trimble shared with the First Lady the importance of the backpack program. “Sometimes our kids are so anxious to get food that they eat it on the bus on the way home,” Trimble said. “But it means they can gain some independence—make a box of macaroni and cheese, open a pop-top can of fruit, or grab a snack. Having food over the weekends gives them assurance that they know where their next meal is coming from.” She also noted the community partners that have made significant contributions to the program but that more is needed: “Goshen County is a great community to establish this backpack program in. We have multiple agencies and individuals who have stepped up to donate financially to the program. We could not be sending home these backpacks with students if the people in the community did not help us out. Since our budget has been cut through the Wyoming Food Bank, we really need more financial donations. We are partnering with the grocery stores in town, setting up donation boxes there to purchase food for the backpacks. If the community could partner with us to help end food insecurity in Goshen County, that would be awesome.” 

In addition to visiting the facility, Gordon and Sheppard delivered dozens of boxes of beef sticks produced for the “Beef for Backpacks” program, a partnership between corporate sponsors and beef donors to provide protein options for backpack programs. Lex Madden of Torrington is a donor of the program, which currently produces 7,000 beef sticks every week. 

The Land of Goshen Ministries also gave the First Lady and Mr. Sheppard a tour of their facilities. The organization serves an average of 90-100 families and individuals through its food pantry program each month. Molly Aagard, Director of Land of Goshen, expressed gratitude. 

“It’s just been an amazing, wonderful experience. It brings attention to the store and to food insecurity, which we really need. we do have needs, our community has needs, and we people can help. We welcome the attention. If anybody wants to volunteer or make a donation, they can contact me here at Land of Goshen,” Aagard said.

Gordon and Sheppard finished their visit at WyoHelp, where they received a tour of the facilities and the offerings available for anyone who expresses a need and for those who qualify for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) through the USDA. Gordon spoke with WyoHelp staff about the possibilities in other counties within the WyoHelp umbrella to fight food insecurities, particularly over the summer when school is not in session. Sheppard thanked the staff for participating in the state Hunger Initiative group calls. 

During her visit, Gordon shared her motivation for addressing food insecurity in Wyoming. 

“I come from a really large family. While we had enough, both my parents were very food insecure, and they always said to be grateful for what you had, to never waste, and to give back if you had the opportunity. I did not expect to ever become the First Lady, but now that I’m here, I want to do something meaningful,” Gordon said. 

Reflecting on her time in Torrington, Gordon praised the community’s strengths and the potential for greater impact. 

“Your strengths are many—you have so many people working together,” Gordon said.

Gordon’s visit served as both an acknowledgment of the hard work being done in Goshen County and a call to action for continued support and collaboration in the fight against food insecurity.