TORRINGTON – Kyle Borger, Executive Director of WYO Help, recently had the opportunity to speak with lawmakers in Washington, D.C. about assistance programs and the needs of their constituents in Wyoming. He met with Senator Lummis, Senator Barrasso, and Congresswoman Hageman. Congress has been discussing changes to assistance programs, including additional restrictions on grant funding and limiting the involvement of the federal government. Borger met with Wyoming lawmakers to discuss the detrimental effect which would cut assistance programs would have on so many families in Wyoming.

One of the unique challenges, Borger identifies is the communities WYO Help serves are often not the model programs legislation is seeking to address. 

“Many programs are built for urban centers,” Borger says, “That can be very challenging in towns with less population than one of their apartment buildings.” 

He goes on to say, often, the assistance programs which are created with urban centers in mind can be scaled down to rural areas, but the compliance and requirements are not scaled down. WYO Help has to meet the same reporting requirements as organizations with large numbers of staff members, despite having a small team.

Despite the challenges, WYO Help has been successful in navigating assistance programs to enhance the lives of those in need in Carbon, Crook, Goshen, Niobrara, Washakie, and Weston Counties. In 2023 alone, WYO Help assisted more than 300 individuals in obtaining and maintaining safe and affordable housing for 180 days or more. It helped 472 individuals avoid eviction and assisted 245 people through programs which allowed them to prevent utility shutoffs.

Borger said his interactions with the senators, congresswoman, and their staff were respectful and, he hopes, beneficial. 

“WYO Help has provided resources and assistance to many in Wyoming. It was a pleasure to meet with Kyle in my D.C. office to hear more about their work and their efforts to help those in need,” Senator Barrasso commented on the visit.

While federal funding is necessary to continue the programs at WYO Help, Borger also emphasizes the impact Wyoming residents can have on their own community through financial donations and volunteering. 

“I believe that together we can do more. Together we can solve problems in our communities. We may never see the end results, but we have to keep pushing forward. We may not have people in tents in our parks. But we do have people who suffer and live with less than they could. Together we can help our neighbors to have a better ability to pursue happiness.” 

To learn more about WYO Help and the Good Neighbor Club, visit www.wyohelp.com/good-neighbor-club.html.