Thursday, OCTOBER 30, 2025 |

Photo – 2021 photo of CNAs helping fill food baskets at St Vincent De Paul – Courtesy Barb James

Local charities in Carbon County are gearing up to help during the expected pause in government-funded food assistance that begins November 1.

Nearly one in 13 Wyoming residents, most of them children, participates in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Due to the government shutdown and the breakdown in talks between Republicans and Democrats, funding for SNAP is not expected to be issued in November. Approximately 1,000 families here in Carbon County are likely to be without benefits because of the political impasse.

Private agencies are stepping into help. In Rawlins, St. Vincent de Paul provides food to needy families. St. Vincent de Paul Society President MaryKay Albrechtson said the organization is preparing for an expected surge in aid requests.

St. Vincent de Paul Society President Albrechtson said the charity has been stocking up on canned goods for the Christmas season. These supplies are expected to be needed in November, when SNAP benefits lapse.

Albrechtson said she’s confident that residents in Rawlins will continue donating throughout the federal government shutdown.

St. Vincent de Paul is currently running a Halloween canned food drive at the Rawlins Family Recreation Center.  On Saturday, November 1, Rawlins community members are holding the annual Friends of the Needy Bazaar in the Jeffery Memorial Community Center.

Albrechtson said money raised during the event is typically used to purchase food for Christmas, but this year, the funds will help prepare for November’s expected rise in aid requests.

Albrechtson said St. Vincent de Paul also accepts monetary donations, which are used to purchase meat for the food baskets.

In the meantime, the St. Vincent de Paul Society has been meeting with the state’s leading food assistance organizations: the Wyoming Hunger Initiative and Food Bank of Wyoming.

Society President Albrechtson said both groups are pressing Wyoming lawmakers to reinstate full SNAP benefits, while St. Vincent de Paul focuses on providing direct aid at the local level.

If you need food assistance, call St. Vincent de Paul at 324-7002 and leave a message with your name and phone number. A volunteer will return your call to ask about your family size and prepare a customized basket tailored to your household’s needs.

Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon has been addressing the issue this week in Cheyenne and will hold a news conference on Friday where he may address the issue.

The post St. Vincent De Paul Prepares to Assist SNAP Recipients first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.