First lady Jennie Gordon helping to support Foundations for Nations food drive

RIVERTON, Wyo. (Wyoming News Now) -

The Foundations for Nations Food Pantry and ministry is partnering with college volunteers tomorrow for another community-wide no strings attached giveaway.

They started the drive-through food distributions when Covid first hit. Around that same time, a collaboration was formed between First Lady Jennie Gordon with the Wyoming Hunger Initiative and Foundations for Nations in Riverton to continue providing for the dietary needs of the people in Fremont County who are in need of a little extra assistance.

Founder of Foundations for Nations, Sarah Lucas, stated, “She heard about us and started supplying financial needs to help us continue to supply the needs of food for our community. Quite often she’ll partner with us and send food.”

Tomorrow is a drive through food distribution on Monroe Avenue in Riverton, and Lucas said she couldn’t continue to do it without the First Lady’s help.

“This past Friday, they sent us hamburger meat for our food drive tomorrow, so it’s a collaborative effort. Our First Lady really does care about the state of Wyoming, not just Fremont County in getting the food to us and helping fight off this childhood hunger,” emphasized Lucas.

Lucas said that they started doing food drives last year when people couldn’t come into the pantry in person anymore. The first few months she said they fed about 10,000 people. “The groceries were flying off the shelves at Wal-Mart. It was no longer just people in need in the community, it was a fear thing. People weren’t able to get the groceries they needed from the grocery store and they would come to us,” added Lucas.

Lately it has slowed down a little, they have been feeding about 1,000 people a month out of the Foundations for Nations Food Pantry, and anyone in need is eligible. Although she says the hours can be long, the team stays motivated to continue helping.

When asked what keeps her going when volunteering long hours, Lucas stated, “All glory to God. He gives us the capacity and the grace to get all things done. In the Scripture, Matthew it says, ‘Did you feed me when I was hungry, did you clothe me when I was naked, did you visit me in prison when I was lonely? The disciples responded back, Jesus, when did we see you like that? When you’ve done it unto the least of these, you’ve done unto me.’ It’s a calling, it’s His will to meet the needs of the community, so we do it, and He gives us the grace to do it.”

The drive is Tuesday, March 23rd at 4 p.m. on Monroe Avenue in front of Foundations for Nations. All Covid precautions will be taken and you can stay in your vehicle while your trunk is filled with enough food items to feed a family of four for about a week.

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