Visitors to Star Valley express wonder at the beauty of this place with its abundant outdoor recreational offerings and robust arts community, but folks who make their home here know that the heartbeat of this community lies in a cultural passion to support the unsupported, defend the defenseless and provide for the most fundamental and sacred needs of each man, woman and child that calls this place home.

One of the most powerful systems that quietly provides for Star Valley’s residents in need consists of hundreds of volunteers who lead and staff the three food banks that dot the valley floor. Afton Food Pantry, Thayne Food Bank and Alpine Food Bank open their doors weekly, welcoming neighbors who have fallen on hard times and who need the comfort of nourishing food and a warm smile.

Without fanfare and behind the scenes, this army of friends to those who face the challenge of food insecurity donates hundreds of hours of time and expertise to acquire, receive and shelve food and staple items, tend the community gardens, harvest the produce, and move food around.  They work tirelessly with other state and community organizations to ensure the shelves are stocked with nutritious and enjoyable food items and basic hygiene products. “Our volunteers are the backbone of the Thayne Community Food Bank,” said Julie Buckley, who chair’s Thayne’s board of directors.

Each food bank is run exclusively by a volunteer board and additional volunteers from the community. Board members manage the operations of the banks, and additional volunteers devote time and energy to ensure that those operations are in place week after week.

Afton Food Pantry’s board includes Charlotte Parsons, Allison Bressler, Rissa Grisamer, Shantel Johnson and Sierra Mitchell. In addition to Buckley, Thayne’s Food Bank is led by Carole Rush, Kelsey Wood, Louise Ceccarelli, Pauline Brooks and Willard Ceccarelli. Alpine Food Bank is run by board members Chad Simkin, Mike Hobby, Andrea Burchard, Sara Doornbos, Justin Fritz, Steve Gieck, Chris Berg and Laurel Hammer.

Quality community living illustrates the truth that many hearts and hands make lighter work. One of the central principles of service at the Afton Food Pantry is learning the power of one. “If everybody just gives one, it adds up to be many,” said Mitchell, who serves as President of the Afton board. “Whether it’s one dollar, one hour, one can, the one makes a difference and our teams and volunteers are part of that one.”

Individuals who keep the food banks running choose to offer unique programs that care for patrons in a very personal way. On the second Thursday of every month, the Thayne Food Bank opens its doors exclusively to veterans. “There is something very special about our veteran’s night,” said Buckley. “It’s quiet. The veterans enjoy talking with each other. Everyone is always helping each other. It’s a very special evening.”

Though Afton is not the only food bank to enjoy the dedication of youth volunteers, a focus there is to provide youth-driven projects and volunteer hours. “We love giving out food, but whole-heartedly, one of the biggest things we focus on is teaching our youth to serve because they are our future leaders,” said Mitchell. “Our hours are scheduled around when our youth are out of school and they can become our volunteer force. We get our senior kids every Tuesday throughout their senior year. We really plant the seeds in them and continue to see them step up in that capacity. That truly is the heart of our pantry – getting the kids to serve with us so that they can take something into this world, knowing that they made a difference.”

One of the greatest challenges that Star Valley’s food banks face is supplying protein to patrons. “Proteins are so expensive,” said Mike Hobby, representing Alpine’s location.  “That’s the hardest thing for us to get right now. We hope for the best at fair time, that people will donate beef, pigs, sheep or goats [from the livestock auction]. That lasts us a few months, but the rest of the year, I am buying from stores. Hamburger and chicken are the only things we can afford to buy.”

Yet, as a powerful reflection of the Star Valley community’s culture of giving, the food banks are supported by youth groups and church organizations that provide generous fundraisers and volunteer hours to keep the banks well stocked. “Star Valley takes care of their own,” said Buckley. “How do we love our neighbor and how do we care for our neighbor and how do we make sure our neighbor is fed? How do we take care of others that are hungry? The greater Thayne community and all of Star Valley take care of the Thayne Food Bank. People do food drives for us, money comes to us, but we have not needed to ask for a single dollar or can of food since COVID. I think that is a testament to neighbors helping neighbors.”

“This whole valley just comes together to provide life-saving service,” said Hobby. “It doesn’t matter what church you go to or who needs help, they get help. We are lucky to live in Star Valley. It’s such a unique place in the world.”

In a Facebook post about the Afton location, Mitchell expressed her respect for the volunteers who sacrifice so much to serve their hungry neighbors. “Some people see pantry night for two hours each week, but what they don’t see are the countless hours behind those two hours. They don’t see the driving across counties to pick up donations, the coordination of food rescue, the stocking of shelves at the library and schools, the grant writing late at night after [board member’s] own families are asleep, the fundraisers, community give-backs, phone calls, emergency requests, and constant planning that ensure when our doors open each Thursday night, our patrons have the food, support, and dignity they deserve.”

These food banks exist because volunteers consistently choose “compassion over convenience and service over recognition,” said Mitchell. Board members “juggle jobs, families, busy schedules, and lives already overflowing with responsibilities — yet, somehow, they continue to pour themselves into this pantry and this community,” Mitchell continued. “They carry burdens most people never see. They worry about empty shelves. They celebrate every donation. They cry over hard stories. And week after week, no matter how exhausted they are, they continue to show up. There are no paychecks for the countless hours. No spotlight for the sacrifices made quietly behind the scenes. Just hearts that refuse to let neighbors go hungry.”