Casper Council Makes Hunger Proclamation

On Tuesday, Casper mayor Ray Pacheco made a proclamation declaring September hunger action month, with members of several advocacy organizations that provide food present.

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Members representing the Radius Church, the Salvation Army, the Food Bank of Wyoming, and the First Church of the Nazarene, showed up to accept the proclamation.

One of those people, Rachel Bailey, the executive director of the foodbank of Wyoming, came up to the dais to accept the proclamation on behalf of the groups present.

Pacheco talked in his proclamation about the issues across Casper and Wyoming, saying "12.2% struggle with hunger and one in six children don't know where their next meal will be coming from."

Pacheco said that he appreciates the work the food groups do and has tried to get more people to understand the issues that face those who are food insecure.

"I used to teach my freshman years ago, one of the things I would always talk about, is you get to go home, you get to go to your cupboard, you get to get whatever you want," Pacheco said. "You get to do it, there's fresh water, there's pop, there's all these things. So I would sit and I would tell them, there are people, kids your age, that don't have access to those things, and I think it's incredibly mindboggling in our day and age, and in our economy, and in our type of world that we still have hunger like this. So the work that you do is not only powerful, it is incredibly noble."

According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 10.5% of households in the U.S. were food insecure at some point in 2020, with 3.9% having very low food security.

The Food Bank of Wyoming has also announced that September is hunger action month and pledged to raise $25,000 and inspire action to help feed people in Wyoming.

Bailey said in a press release by the food bank:

"Food Bank of Wyoming invites individuals and communities across the state to join us in ensuring our neighbors have enough nutritious food to eat," Bailey said. "The number of Wyoming households facing food insecurity remains high, so the best way for you to take action during the month of September is to make a financial contribution to Food Bank of Wyoming. Every dollar remains in the state and 96 cents of every dollar goes directly to our programs."