By Gabriela Vincent – Casper, Wyoming …Supporting those in need this holiday season is top priority for Casper church and Mountain Road Christian Academy.

For the last twenty years, the Casper church has been partnering with Mountain Road Christian Academy to collect and distribute nonperishable food items in their fall can drive. This effort has been helping the Casper community, needy church members, and a couple of other organizations such as Mimi’s House.

“Many people in our community who are struggling will receive a Thanksgiving basket filled with the canned goods and non-perishable items that were collected, as well as fresh produce and turkeys,” Nancy Sybrant, Adventist Community Services director for Casper said.

The event began with volunteers delivering paper bags to neighborhoods in Casper with a note explaining how the project works and that volunteers would pick up the full bags a few weeks later on October 31.

Some forty volunteers gathered after church, October 31, to fan out to the community to collect the many items.

“We had more than 300 homes to go to and with everyone’s help, we were finished in just an hour and a half. A big thank you to all who participated,” Sybrant stated.

The community responded by providing many bags filled for those in need this season. The drive brought in hundreds of items.

“The Lord certainly blessed with an abundance of canned goods and other foods. The food will fill many food bags and Thanksgiving baskets, while the surplus will go to the Community Food Bank,” Gabriela Vincent, Casper church members said.

—Gabriela Vincent is a Casper church member and wife of Pastor Shayne Vincent; photos by Shayne Vincent