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.

Wyoming Hunger Initiative was launched in 2019 with two tenets in mind: one, to never reinvent the wheel and two, to be in all 23 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 country, this work wouldn’t be possible.

The following volunteers were recognized at this event:

• Mary Failoni, Kemmerer Food Bank

• All Volunteers, Jackson Cupboard

• Erin Gardner, Afton Food Pantry

• Kayla Grisamer, Lincoln Self Reliance, Inc.

• Michael Hobby, Alpine Food Bank

• Julie Huntley, Pinedale Community BakPak Program

• 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

• Diana Simpson, The Pinedale Community Food Basket

• Nancy Terracciano, Good Samaritan Mission