Eagles Hope Transitions of Riverton will host two community events Wednesday as part of the 24-hour WyoGives donation program benefiting nonprofit organizations throughout the state.
The first event will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Eagles Hope facility at 720 W. Main St. in Riverton, where attendees can receive a free meal in exchange for a WyoGives donation.
Organizers said computers will be available on-site that participants can use to make online donations.
In the evening, Eagles Hope will invite its WyoGives supporters back to the Main Street campus for ice cream “thank you” treats from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
“Your support will help provide housing for those in recovery, those dealing with mental health issues, and those who are homeless as a result of poverty,” Eagles Hope Board Chair Janet Nyberg said. “We continue because you care. … Any financial support would be greatly appreciated.”
Eagles Hope provided more than 44,800 services to 214 local families in 2023, Eagles Hope Director Michelle Widmayer said during a Riverton City Council meeting this spring.
Most of those families – 164 – received food and homeless prevention services off-site, she noted, while 50 received services at the Eagles Hope facility.
More than half of those on-site residents struggle with addiction, Widmayer said, while two-thirds have a diagnosed mental illness, and 55 percent fall into both categories.
Twenty percent of Eagles Hope residents are employed, she added, and several are over 60 years old.
“(They have) no place to go – no family,” Widmayer said. “I’m an advocate for them.”
At Eagles Hope, she said, residents “acquire knowledge, skills and guidance to access and utilize available services to become healthy, productive members of Fremont County.”
“We provide a place for (them to) start over,” Widmayer said. “(They) create and build new lives in order to transition back to their families and communities.”
The work takes place in a “safe and sober living environment that allows all patrons to maintain dignity and respect and develop long-term personal and financial stability,” she continued.
“The main goal is to become productive members of the community by providing job readiness skills, life skills, parenting classes, and support sobriety,” she said. “Individuals who seek our services want to better themselves and their families. We provide a safe and sober environment for them to do so.”
Eagles Hope maintains a 56 percent client success rate, Widmayer said, with a recidivism rate of only 3 percent.
The organization’s goal is to raise at least $15,000 during WyoGives in order to receive the maximum match amount from the program.
Click here to donate to Eagles Hope during WyoGives.