ROCK SPRINGS — Since 2017, the Trona Valley Credit Union Foundation has worked to fight childhood hunger in Sweetwater County through its Children’s Backpack Program, which provides weekend meals to local students in need.
The foundation partners with Sweetwater County School District 2 to distribute between 1,500 and 2,000 meals each school year to children in Green River. Students are referred to the program by counseling staff at the school.
Each backpack includes breakfast, lunch and dinner for both Saturday and Sunday, helping ensure that children have access to nutritious food even when school is not in session.
Sara Beebe, a Trona Valley employee, experienced the program’s impact firsthand in 2019 while going through a divorce and unexpected layoff. At the time, she said, she had no idea where the weekend meals were coming from.
“I wasn’t even sure how or where these food items were coming from, but they turned out to be such a blessing to my family,” she said.
Years later, after joining Trona Valley, Beebe learned the food had come from its charitable arm. When former executive director Melanie Hutchison stepped down after more than 10 years of volunteer service, Beebe saw an opportunity to give back to the program that had once supported her.
Funding for the Children’s Backpack Program comes from multiple sources, including fundraising dinners, donations from community members and local businesses, and even contributions from Trona Valley staff. Recently, staff donated items for a parking lot sale to help raise funds.
The foundation also benefits from partnerships such as the Wyoming Hunger Initiative, which helps supply donated food items, including beef sticks from Wyoming ranchers.
