Four area women recognized for helping fight hunger in Wyoming

Local efforts highlighted as part of Initiative

Four area women were honored in Cody Thursday night by Wyoming First Lady Jennie Gordon for their efforts in helping address food insecurity across the state through the Wyoming Hunger Initiative.

Rebecca Bates, Sally Bernhisel, LeAndra Rasmussen and Susan Peck were among volunteers and advocates recognized for their unique roles in supporting local food systems and ensuring families in their communities have access to essential resources.

Gordon, the wife of Governor Mark Gordon and who hosted the event, reflected on the initiative as a defining focus of her time as First Lady. Though she said the work has been her “great love” over the past nearly eight years, she acknowledged that her role will soon come to a close as her husband’s term ends. Still, she expressed confidence that the effort will continue well into the future.

Launched in 2019, the Wyoming Hunger Initiative was built on the idea of supporting, rather than replacing, the work already being done in communities across the state.

“We didn’t want to reinvent the wheel. … The people in this room have been doing this work for a long time,” Gordon said.

“Many of you don’t expect to be recognized for your work, but we think it’s important that you are,” she added.

Gordon’s chief of staff, Trista Ostrom, emphasized that hunger in Wyoming is a challenge that can be addressed through coordinated effort.

“We believe hunger in Wyoming is a problem that can be solved,” Ostrom said. “Where there’s a hungry child, a hungry family, senior or veteran isn’t far away.”

She noted that the initiative works to prevent food insecurity by increasing awareness and supporting local organizations through programs that connect partners and provide funding for community-driven solutions.

“Nourished kids, healthy families and thriving communities; that’s the goal of the Wyoming Hunger Initiative,” she said. “Hunger doesn’t stand a chance when we join together in the fight.”

Each of the four local women recognized represent a different piece of that effort.

Rebecca Bates
Wyoming Food Coalition

Bates, who serves on the Wyoming Food Coalition board, has been instrumental in advancing local food systems in the Big Horn Basin. Through her work with her family’s business, Little Acres Farms, she helped create an online platform connecting local producers with consumers, improving access to locally sourced food.

“I initially aligned with the Wyoming Food Coalition three years ago due to my own business,” Bates said. “The vision my husband and I had works well within the WFC.”

She noted that representation from the Big Horn Basin had been limited and saw an opportunity to contribute.

“The WFC had no representation in the Big Horn Basin area, so I felt that I could be of benefit,” she said.

Bates also serves on a local steering committee through the Powell Economic Partnership’s WyGrown initiative, which focuses on strengthening food security in the region.

Sally Bernhisel
Lovell Community Food Pantry

Bernhisel, a volunteer with the Food Pantry, was recognized for her hands-on efforts to strengthen local support. Seeing a need for increased community involvement, she helped organize rotating food drives among local LDS Wards, ensuring consistent donations and awareness.

“Like many communities, we serve lots of individuals and families, each with their own difficult story,” Bernhisel said. “Every donation to the food bank is deeply needed and sincerely appreciated.”

She added that the experience has been meaningful not only for those receiving assistance but for those giving it.

“Working with the other ladies at the food bank and getting to see the generosity in our area has been a great honor,” she said.

Susan Peck
Lovell Community Food Pantry

Peck, one of the founding forces behind the Lovell Community Food Pantry, has spent more than a decade building and sustaining the organization. What began as a small, two-hour weekly effort has grown into a vital resource serving dozens of individuals each week.

“I don’t want people to go hungry,” Peck said. “I want to make sure that I have done as much as I can to not have hungry people on my watch.”

She emphasized the importance of community involvement and shared responsibility. “As a Christian, I believe in following in Christ’s footsteps and helping people in need,” she said. “I also believe in community and working together to help each other.

“I knew we needed everyone to make this project work. We started small, and now we are feeding so many more with such a larger variety of different foods and necessity items. We are blessed with such beautiful communities of people willing to help.”

LeAndra Rasmussen

Wyoming 211

Rasmussen, who serves as a community outreach coordinator with One Health and as a Wyoming 211 ambassador, works daily to connect individuals and families with critical services.

“A lot of times people walk in with a problem, and I help them try to find a way to get their needs met,” Rasmussen said.

Her work includes assisting with applications for programs such as Medicaid, SNAP and energy assistance, as well as helping coordinate local resources and partnerships.

She also organizes the Big Horn County Resource Committee, a monthly meeting that brings together service providers and community members to address gaps in support.

“I help people with locating resources like food, clothing, housing and more,” she said. “The other part of my job is helping bring together resources in the community.”

Together, the efforts of Bates, Bernhisel, Peck and Rasmussen reflect the broader mission of the Wyoming Hunger Initiative: a collaborative, community-driven approach to ending hunger in the state.

As the First Lady noted, the work is far from finished, but it is firmly rooted in the dedication of local volunteers and advocates, and in communities like those across the Big Horn Basin, that work continues every day.

All of the women emphasized that these services rely heavily on ongoing community support and are always in need of donations.

To make a donation

To support the Lovell Community Food Pantry, donations can be mailed to P.O. Box 324, Lovell, WY 82431. Contributions to Wyoming 211 can be made online at www.wyoming211.org, and donations to the Wyoming Food Coalition can be made at www.wyfoodcoalition.org. Community members can also support these efforts by connecting directly with any of the women involved.