HISTORY
Our Roots
Feeding Laramie Valley is a program of Action Resources International, LLC, a grass-roots 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to community equity and justice in all of its forms. Feeding Laramie Valley was founded as a response to the crisis in food security initiated by the recession of 2008. Founder Gayle Woodsum had been working with local seniors and was deeply troubled by the difficulty they had in obtaining access to enough healthy food. To address this need, she reached out to other local community members and leaders who worked with the most vulnerable populations within the community: elders, people living with disabilities, and children.
At that time, the rate of food insecurity was especially high, and Albany County had the highest rates of all in Wyoming. Feeding Laramie Valley's
first community action was to hold a workshop at the Eppson Center for Seniors in Laramie on how to grow your own food. Immediately following, they began plans for Laramie's first community garden, and then kickstarted the Shares program to collect and distribute fresh produce to those who needed it.
For the past 15 years and counting, Feeding Laramie Valley has been dedicated to the project of community-led food sovereignty, finding and implementing solutions to address food insecurity. FLV now runs nine programs, each focused on a different aspect of food sovereignty, with twelve dedicated staff members, an active volunteer program, and supplemental positions through a thriving partnership with Americorps Vista.
Timeline
