COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS EMPTY STOCKING FUND

One of Laramie County's largest charitable efforts, the Laramie County Community Christmas Program, where the Wyoming Tribune Eagle and American Legion Post 6 team up with local restaurants, bars and pubs to raise money for holiday meals for those in need in the local area.

A brief history, after WWII, American Legion Post 6 veterans discovered a need in the local community to help fellow neighbors down on their luck during the holidays. They collected food items and handed out food baskets with a turkey to those in need. This continued for many years without a funding source and began to be called the Laramie County Community Christmas Program.

In 1962, the Wyoming Tribune Eagle Empty Stocking Fund began to raise funds in conjunction with American Legion Post 6 Bar Bucks fund raisers for the Laramie County Community Christmas Program to provide holiday meals to those who could not afford it.

More and more, we were seeing that, due to dietary restrictions-where they're diabetic or having gluten-type concerns-that the food items we were giving to people they probably weren't using all those items. When people don't use the items donated to them, it created a lot of waste for donated funds used to support the program. Also; this approach also requied a building, boxes, insureance, etc which added to the funds that were potentially wasted.

In 2016, the program was modernized to a pre-paid Albertsons-Safeway food card. In addition, some people receive a card that works at the Texas Trail Mart in Pine Bluffs (to reduce driving cost to use the card and spend the donated dollars near the location where the funds were raised.) The gift cards are marked to be used only for food, and Albertsons and Safeway employees monitor their use at check out.

The program has two main sources of funding: the American Legion Bar Bucks and the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's Empty Stocking Fund. Last year, both fundraisers/donations raised $47,163 and $8,284 respectively and donated 1,000 food cards ($70K).

Bar Bucks works in partnership with local restaurants, bars and taverns across the county to collect cash donations to support the Laramie Community Christmas program. Money for the Empty Stocking Fund is raised through online and mail-in donations. These donations are used to purchase grocery gift cards. People should feel especially good about donating to Laramie County Community Christmas, since donations go directly back into the local community with virtually zero waste/overhead.
To donate to the annual Bar Bucks fundraiser, people can visit local participating bars and pubs and purchase/donate to Bar Bucks.

The staff at the Wyoming Tribune Eagle want everyone to have an opportunity to enjoy the spirit of Christmas, and without the Empty Stocking Fund and Bar Bucks, many families would go without.

To donate to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's Empty Stocking Fund, drop off or mail check or cash donations to the WTE at 702 W. Lincolnway, Cheyenne, WY 82001. Checks should be made payable to the Empty Stocking Fund. Donations can also be sent electronically thru VEMO aps.

Laramie County Community Christmas is trying to increase the number of cards issued by giving the decades-old program a facelift.

Laramie County Community Christmas volunteers put up vibrant flyers around town, encouraging people to sign up to get a meal; distribute tear-off books with information about how to apply for the meal to churches, day-care facilities and other targeted areas; and also use a Facebook page to send out information about the effort. Anyone can call in and provide some simple personal information to request a pre-paid food card. If they are approved, they receive a letter in the mail with information when and where to pick-up their pre-paid food card.