• Four hundred families can take food home.

Afton’s Food Pantry is inviting all families from throughout Lincoln County to visit the Food Bank of Wyoming Mobile Food Pantry coming to Afton on Friday, May 24 between 11 and 1 in the parking lot of Star Valley High School. Four hundred boxes of food will be available to all individuals who show up. No application or pre-qualification is required.

“We’re super excited to have this event,” said Sierra Mitchell, Director of the Afton Food Pantry, in a radio interview with SVI Media. “This event only comes yearly to Lincoln County.  It’s just an excellent way to dump extra food back into our community at the end of the school year or when we know families are traveling and things are getting tight financially. The Afton Food Pantry is partnered with Food Bank of Wyoming, which is then Food Bank of the Rockies, which then is Feeding America.”

Enough food to fill four hundred food boxes will arrive in Afton that morning. Volunteers from the SVHS Women’s Soccer Team and from the SVHS Football Team will sort food and prepare boxes for the guests.  Guests are invited to begin lining their cars up earlier that morning, but food will not be distributed until 11. Guests will be asked to drive through the line, and the food will be brought to guest vehicles. “You don’t even have to get out of your car,” said Mitchell.

“Big businesses like Walmart step up and donate items that they didn’t sell in the store and we’re able to get some of those items at little or no cost,” Mitchell explained. “Other donors step up to cover [the Mobile Food Pantry] financially. It’s the Afton Food Pantry’s job to distribute it.”

Once the food is delivered to Afton, the Afton Food Pantry is responsible for the all of it, and the Pantry does not have space to store it, so they strongly encourage families to come, bring friends and neighbors, or pick up for their friends and neighbors.  They just need to give their name, town of residence and their age for records. This is an enormous amount of food that needs to be distributed. According to Mitchell, the food does typically run out by the end of the event, so guests are encouraged to arrive early and be prepared to wait for the event to open.

“We always tell people to think about those homebound and elderly individuals,” said Mitchell. “Some people have to work and can’t get there. We’ll send you home with as many food boxes as you have families to feed. We never know what kind of food will come. It’s always a complete surprise, but what we have seen every year we have hosted this is that it’s fresh produce, and I’m talking a lot of fresh produce, usually frozen meat of some kind and then a whole box of non-perishables. All great items.”

Residents of Lincoln County from Kemmerer to Alpine are invited to take advantage of this event. Though some families may not feel they have a need for the extra food, Mitchell encourages them to collect a box or two anyway. They can share the food, and the more families in Lincoln County that visit the Mobile Pantry, the more food that will be provided through the program in the coming years.

“Some of our other communities across the state get this Mobile Food Pantry every month or every other month because they have a greater need showing up for it, so we want this to come back,” Mitchell said. “We just have to do our part to show that Lincoln County has a need, so we just invite you to come and think about people that may not be able to get there and grab a box or two for them and let’s just help fight food insecurity a little bit more during the last two weeks of school when it’s hard for all of us.”

Mitchell also commented on the need for volunteers at the Food Pantry during the summer months. “During the summertime, we always run into a shortage of volunteers. Hunger does not stop just because we’re all enjoying the sunshine. We encourage anyone over the age of 16 to come and join us on Thursday nights. Our sign-up link is found on our website at aftonfoodpantry.com. If you have three hours on Thursday night, find our sign-up and come volunteer. Also, as we’re getting into summer, grow a little extra. If you have a garden, plant an extra row. We can take fresh produce and farm-fresh eggs. The 4-H sale will be coming during the fair. We love animals that come our way. We’re also working with the fair board this year and those that donate their produce and eggs to be judged at the Lincoln County Fair booths, some of that food could come our way if the grower wants to donate it. Not only can they earn a ribbon or two, but they can actually help us feed local families during Fair week.

“How cool is it that all these partnerships ensure that we can serve families that need food,” said Mitchell. “It’s always a full community effort. We need volunteers. We always accept donations. We’re always so grateful that our community rallies around us.”