Wyoming First Lady Jennie Gordon isn’t happy with the fact 23,000 children in the state struggle with food insecurity, and that was the total before the coronavirus pandemic.
But ever since her husband, Gov. Mark Gordon, won his campaign, she has pushed to put an end to food insecurity in the state through the Wyoming Hunger Initiative (WHI). It’s tough work, but she has a dedicated team behind her, which has made her work much easier.
Surprisingly, the work has been fairly smooth since the pandemic began, Gordon said during Town Square Media’s “Economy Town Hall” on Friday morning. But it’s definitely going to be an uphill battle in the coming weeks and months.
“In a time like this, we’re all hands on deck,” the First Lady said. “People are very passionate about helping folks and feeding people, so it’s not a lift for me at all.”
She touched on the task force that the WHI established on March 17, which was created to provide support, streamline communications and implement creative solutions to hunger issues caused by coronavirus closures statewide.
Currently, the WHI website includes a page that breaks down local resources in all of Wyoming’s 23 counties. This covers information such as what food banks and pantries are available, what stores are offering special hours for people who are at a high risk for catching the virus and even details about when and what schools will provide food for the day or week. Anyone who doesn’t have internet access can call 211 and find similar information.
Gordon recommended that if people are looking to volunteer or donate items, they should contact their local food banks or pantries to find out what is needed.
