The Voice of the Community Since 1909, Serving Moorcroft and Pine Haven, Wyoming
The Voice of the Community Since 1909, Serving Moorcroft and Pine Haven, Wyoming
Volunteers distribute thousands of pounds of food as vehicles break into two lines to mitigate traffic flow issues along town streets.
Volunteers Monte Reichenberg and Randy Blakeman pull several more massive bags of potatoes from the cooler for distribution as the lines of applicants continue to grow.
Moorcroft Interfaith Community (MIC) has employed a different type of pantry for the past few years with positive results, ensuring food for an ever increasing number of households.
However, the program is slowly becoming overwhelmed by higher food costs and weekly increases in the number of households in need, "We're setting records almost every week of the number of senior citizens coming in from as far away as Hulett and Newcastle."
The program served 2135 individuals in June, this is an increase of 542 from the 1593 fed in May and the number of recipients continues to rise.
"The MIC purchases food for the two MIC pantries that are hosted on the first and third Thursdays of each month with distribution from 4 to 6 p.m.," spokesman Monte Reichenberg explained the process.
"Some of the food is purchased through the Wyoming Food Bank and more and more we are purchasing food through Diehl's Supermarket (who allow us to purchase at cost) as donations of food to the Wyoming Food Bank shrinks in this time of high prices; the Wyoming Food Bank provides all of the food for the monthly Mobile Pantry that is hosted by MIC on the second Thursday of each month with distribution from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m."
The MIC is afforded monetary grants from the John P Ellbogen Foundation, PRECORP Foundation, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and First Presbyterian Church of Cheyenne as well as monthly donations from Blakeman Propane, FPC Moorcroft, Cornerstone Ministries and individuals to purchase food. There are also seasonal donations from organizations including the Moorcroft Area Chamber of Commerce, Pinnacle Bank and others.
"We also receive grants of food from the LDS Humanitarian Food Assistance Program, PRECORP Foundation, Government Programs and the Wyoming Food Bank of Wyoming," Reichenberg listed the agency's benefactors.
MIC has been spending approximately $5000 each month for food for a number of months, but last week they bought 23,500 pounds of food, "and that doesn't count what we get for free".
According to Reichenberg, the amount the organization is now paying for food, though, has jumped for the month of August, "We ordered over $7000 worth of food because our reserves had been depleted by the numbers we are serving."
These households are coming from Moorcroft, Pine Haven, Sundance, Beulah, New Haven, Gillette, Rozet, Aladdin, Upton, Osage, Newcastle, Alva, Oshoto, Carlile and Devils Tower.
Reichenberg noted that Newcastle recently attempted to emulate Moorcroft's mobile pantry design, but was unprepared for the influx and ran out of food to distribute in the first 40 minutes.
"MIC is constantly looking for partners to come along side of us to help maintain a steady income," Reichenberg says, entreating those who would like to help in these times of stress.
"All donations are helpful and greatly appreciated, but pledges of consistent monthly donations, no matter how small, are really important as that allows us to better plan our budget. And we are always looking for grant opportunities to help purchase food and provide needed infrastructure building funding. As the poundage of food handled increases, we have also had to improve our ability to handle the quantity we do. Just this month, already, we have taken in over 25,000 lbs of food."
