Uniting people, sharing resources, improving lives in southwest Wyoming: United Way provides a network of support

“Most people know who we are because of our annual campaign. Workplaces that have agreed to run a campaign do it in the fall and in the winter,” executive director Kelly Frink explained. “So, we’re doing a lot of meetings right now. We go and explain what we do and how we work.

“We ask people if they want to donate. The biggest thing is that they can do it via payroll deduction at those workplaces. So, it makes it really easy to donate. But they don’t have to do it that way. They can do cash; they can do check. If you want to give us money, we’ll figure out a way to get it from you.”

For those wishing to donate for a specific county can do so by marking it down on a pledge form.

“All of the funds that say ‘Sweetwater’ go into a pool of funds. We have what we call our Community Solutions Teams, and we have them in the different counties,” she explained. “We do a two-year funding cycle where agencies can submit a grant to us.

“They have to have measurable outcomes in either of our three initiatives: education, health and basic needs. They fill out the application, and we have our team review the applications. If they’re not getting an audit, they at least have to have a review; there’s different stipulations to apply.”

Every two years, the agencies give a presentation, the volunteers are able to ask questions and the organizations who receive funding are chosen from those steps.

“It would be really easy if we raised enough funds where we could just award them what they asked for,” she said. “But, in the 16 years that I’ve been here, that has never happened, unfortunately. So, they really have to look at the other funding these places are getting, how many people they’re serving, what the needs are and what their role in the community is.”

During the recent campaign kick-off, local organizations like Boys & Girls Club of Sweetwater County YWCA of Sweetwater County shared the importance of the programs to the community, as well as how the funding from United Way of Southwest Wyoming helps “further their missions.”

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

United Way of Southwest Wyoming covers multiple counties: Sweetwater, Uinta, Lincoln a little bit of Sublette and some of Fremont.

“In Fremont County, we only provide one service: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.”

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is available in all of the counties that United Way of Southwest Wyoming covers.

The Imagination Library is a gift giving program that mails free books once month to kids from birth up to age 5.

“We’re an affiliate of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library,” Frink said. “Every month they get a free book in the mail. It just depends on their age what book they will get. They also change the books out. So, if you have multiple kids, they should get different books. It’s a program to help build up their collection of books.”

Frink explained that Dolly Parton's Imagination Library pays for the books. United Way of Southwest Wyoming pays for the shipping of the books.

“Also, we manage the database. I had no idea how often people moved until we started this program,” she said. “We have a volunteer who comes in and helps us manage that database. They update the addresses, call parents if we don’t have a new address for them and things like that.

“Sometimes, we’re able to transfer them if they’ve moved out of the area and they offer it in their new area. Otherwise, you have to live in those counties for us to be able to do it.”

The program is part of United Way of Southwest Wyoming’s early education initiative.

Teed Up for Literacy

Each year, United Way of Southwest Wyoming hosts a charity drive golf tournament. The event raises money in order to empower childhood literacy through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

In 2022, $14,317 was raised at the golf tournament.

The golf tournament raised $17,529 in 2023.

Helping Hands Day

Not only does United Way of Southwest Wyoming provide various services for the community, but the organization also promotes community service projects.

Each year on Helping Hand Day, local citizens take part in community projects like cleaning up yards for older adults, doing home repairs for those with disabilities and maintenance projects that are in need of completion for some of the local nonprofits.

In 2022, 65 volunteers took part in the day of service. There was $15,328 worth of services provided to those in the community.

Community diaper banks

Another program that United Way of Southwest Wyoming has are the community diaper banks.

“We partner with the food bank. So, they distribute diapers for us in Rock Springs and Green River on their distribution days,” Frink said. “We do all of the fundraising and diaper drives for that program. We also have volunteers that help us in the valley.

“So, we have Lyman Town Hall as a distribution point once a month. We also have a distribution point at the BOCES building in Evanston; we have a volunteer that helps with the distribution once a month.”

Frink emphasized the importance of families having access to enough diapers for their children.

“We’re part of the National Diaper Bank Network. They put together a lot of statistics and information. A few years ago, if a family was in diaper need, they were falling short 19 diapers a month,” she said. “Their last statistic, after everything that has happened and inflation, a family is falling short 44 diapers a month. It’s been a huge increase.”

She added that typically, families can’t get diapers through assistance programs.

“You can’t buy diapers with the SNAP program. And diapers are expensive,” Frink said. “It’s also a health concern if you’re leaving babies in diapers for too long. It’s a psychological problem if you’re trying to potty train them too early.

“There’s a lot of things that go along with needing to have an adequate supply of diapers.”

According to Frink, between all of United Way of Southwest Wyoming’s diaper banks, over 72,000 diapers were distributed last year.