BY KAREN BOSSICK

Santa came early to 140 families in Shoshone.

The jolly ol’ fellow commissioned a couple dozen volunteers with The Shoshone Project to deliver foodstuffs, coats and presents for about 400 adults and children living in the vicinity just before Christmas Eve.

The volunteers provided families with two overflowing bags of food loaded with ham, steaming hot homemade tamales, fresh fruits and vegetables, a dozen homemade cookies, staples, a special scented holiday candle and a gift certificate to the Farmhouse Grocery Store in Shoshone.

There were more than 250 presents for the kids and a mountain of warm clothing donated by Wood River Valley residents for families to sort through.

“A young woman in San Diego heard about the Shoshone Project and shipped us a big box of stuffed animals and 2 dozen cookies,” said Candice Stark, a Wood River Valley resident who co-founded The Shoshone Project. “Several groups and individuals baked cookies and the big Wood Bakery donated 400 fresh cookies.”

This is the fourth year for the Shoshone Project’s holiday food and clothing drive, said Stark, who co-founded the community grassroots organization after learning of the needs of many of those who commute to the Wood River Valley to build houses, clean homes and work in restaurants.

More than 70 percent of those who live in Lincoln County where Shoshone is located, commute to the Wood River Valley or Twin Falls to work. And more than half of those are unable to afford the basic necessities of housing, child care, food, transportation, technology and health care even though they’re working, said Stark.

“The Shoshone Project was started with just a knock at a neighbor’s door,” said Julia Borrayo Draper, co-founder of the Shoshone Project. “We are now knocking on so many more doors, and to know that our hands, our donations, our volunteer work has helped so many families…we feel so lucky to get to share and remember these ‘awwwww’ moments.”

Juli Miller a member of the Wood River Interfaith Council, said that the Shoshone Project has been very specific in outlining immediate needs and timelines.

“Such details have enabled us to quickly mobilize others, including people in Florida and California, to assist with providing everything from paint and gravel for the Lincoln County Youth Center to collecting toys and homemade cookies for the holiday gifts,” she added. “Being able to quickly send photos to donors documenting the success of the collective missions further strengthened the bond with Shoshone Project. We appreciated seeing that volunteer or donor involvement went across communities, generations, cultures and faith traditions in acts of friendship and gratitude.”

Businesses and organizations supporting the effort included Atkinsons’ Markets, Costco, Mane Muse The mill, REMAX Sun Valley, Starbucks in Ketchum, Silver Creek Outfitters, Sun Valley Community School, Big Wood Bakery, Kiwanis Club of Hailey, Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, Light on the Mountains Center for Spiritual Living, Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church, the Wood River Jewish Community and Wood River Valley Interfaith Council.

“In the end, it’s all about the smiling faces—and there were so many at this year’s holiday giveaway,” said Stark. “Every single bag of food was picked up, and the few remaining bags of clothing went to the Lincoln County Youth Center clothing closet in Richfield. All in all, it was another successful year for connecting and supporting our neighbors!”