Volunteers honored at First Lady Gordon’s hunger initiative summit

Volunteers from the Big Horn Basin who work tirelessly to help provide food for hungry families were honored Thursday night, Oct. 3, at a special event held at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, including a Lovell couple.

The evening and the program that followed on Friday at the Cody Holiday Inn was organized by First Lady Jennie Gordon as part of the Wyoming Hunger Initiative she launched in 2019. Gordon has been meeting with and honoring partners in the fight against hunger for more than four years, and on Thursday it was the Big Horn Basin’s turn in the spotlight.

One of the organizations honored Thursday at the Northwest Regional Summit was the Lovell Food Pantry housed at the Lovell United Methodist Church, and Gordon presented a volunteer recognition award to food pantry volunteers Linda Martin and Steve Ramsey. The couple was nominated by fellow volunteer and church member Susan Peck.

“I am so thrilled to have been able to nominate Linda Martin and Steve Ramsey to be recognized at the Northwest Regional Summit,” Peck said. “These two have been a part of our pantry for several years. They work tirelessly behind the scenes to keep the food pantry running smoothly. They work as a team, and it shows. We are so lucky to have them.

“I also do not want to take away from our other volunteers, who are wonderful. The pantry exists with the help of volunteers and donations. It takes a village or, as it says in our name, a community. We are so appreciative of everyone who helps in so many ways. On average our community has seen at least 10 to 15 people stop by for food (for their families), which feeds up to 30 to 45 people each week. We have been operating from the back door (of the church) on Friday afternoons for more than 10 years.”

Also in attendance Thursday at the program were Lovell Food Pantry volunteers Peck, Jeff Pearson and Sally Bernhisel, who attended with husband John.

Peck’s nomination of Martin and Ramsey reads as follows:

“A few years back we were struggling to find volunteers. We needed the type of people who would take charge and get things done. Linda Martin and Steve Ramsey stepped up to do the job. They already worked with “Meals on Wheels” and decided to add to their list of volunteer positions. They are a team.

“Steve takes care of the monetary donations. Linda keeps the pantry organized and helps keep us staffed. They also shop for the pantry together. She always has a list of everything we need for the week. They are always in during the week to make everything happen. They are always on call if someone needs supplies and cannot come in on the day we are open. I am not sure how we would function without them. Thank you, Linda and Steve, for all you do.”

In a letter to organizations working to reduce hunger in Wyoming, First Lady Gordon explained the history of the Wyoming Hunger Initiative and the regional summits.

“When I launched Wyoming Hunger Initiative in October 2019, I had a very specific goal in mind: to do whatever I could to support anti-hunger organizations working tirelessly throughout the state,” Gordon wrote. “Instead of reinventing the wheel, Wyoming Hunger Initiative strives to identify long-term, sustainable solutions that will reduce hunger in our state. 

“While this goal hasn’t changed, the scope of Wyoming Hunger Initiative has grown in ways no one could have imagined in October 2019. There are grassroots organizations in every Wyoming county dedicated to reducing hunger and combating food insecurity. It is our hope to continue to support you in your efforts to eradicate hunger. 

“We have spent over four years traveling around the state to meet the partners working in this space, and we have developed some essential programs that are aimed at filling the gaps in this work. As we have developed relationships with each of you over the course of the last four years, it has become apparent that the power of this network coming together in a concentrated area to identify ongoing challenges and brainstorm solutions is the next step.

“Therefore, thanks to the Hughes Charitable Foundation, we have developed the concept of bringing folks together for ‘regional summits’ as a way to brainstorm, share concerns, and network our way toward strengthened partnerships and solutions to hunger. Each of you bring such a unique perspective that is critical to the success of Wyoming Hunger Initiative going forward.”