STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

When Kristen Gedeborg had to move adult materials in The Shoshone Library, she didn’t know where she was going to put them. But the Shoshone Project stepped up with a donation of shelves.

The nonprofit organization with roots in the Wood River Valley didn’t stop there. It donated $3,000 so the library could purchase more reading materials for Spanish-speaking readers.

“Less than 2 percent of our books were in Spanish in a community with 50 percent or more residents who are Spanish speakers—25 percent of whom are Spanish speaking only,” said Gedeborg.

Gedeborg was among a dozen Lincoln County representatives who journeyed north to Ryan Gates’ home in Gimlet last week to take part in the Shoshone Project’s inaugural Summer Garden Celebration. About a hundred people attended the fundraiser, which ended up raising $90,000 of the $100,000 summer campaign goal to benefit food pantries, youth programs and schools in Shoshone and Richfield.

The celebration gave attendees a chance to meet some of the recipients of their donations, including Gedeborg and Brittnee Horting, who received a $2,500 grant that enabled her Lincoln County Pool to provide 30 swim lesson scholarships, along with kickboards and goggles.

“And we had 20 participants in the Parent and Me class for mothers and their infants,” she said.

Forty percent of those who work in the Wood River Valley let us live the life we live, and they desperately need our help, Kate Lieder told those at the gathering.

Rebecca Wood, executive director of the Lincoln County Youth Center and a Lincoln County commissioner, commended volunteers who answered the Shoshone Project’s call to roll up their sleeves and paint the children’s center.

She said that 70 percent of those who live in Shoshone leave the county to work, and it’s often an hour and a half drive each way. They leave behind kids who must fend for themselves while their parents are working. Those parents don’t get to go to their children’s ball games. They don’t get to join in community events. They feel a lack of connection to their community, she said.

The community has generational poverty, addiction and a high teen pregnancy rate, she added. And kids are anxious about their next meal and whether the lights going to be kept on.

In response, county leaders stepped up four years ago to start the Lincoln County Youth Center afterschool program where 70 children receive help with homework, snacks and field trips to places like Silver Creek Preserve and the Bug Zoo at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden.

“This is a small town with no industry, so what we do is a matter of donations and grants,” she said.

That’s why the Shoshone Project has been so vital, she added

Candice Stark, board chair of The Shoshone Project, recounted how she and Wood started the Shoshone Project in 2020 as the Covid pandemic forced Lincoln County workers to stay home, not bringing in any income.

Volunteers solicited food and clothing for the holidays, and the effort has grown since then.

“It wasn’t an idea at the beginning to be big, but more than 800 people walked through the doors to pick up clothing and food last year. It’s not me doing this. It is a team,” Stark said.

Supporters have contributed in unique ways, she said. One man got 15 new guitars for the Shoshone School District so music teachers will be able to teach students to play guitars. The Shoshone Project facilitated a kiln donation and supplies to support art programs. One supporter gave a slightly used computer to a graduating senior to take to college. And the Community School and the Gold Mine donated sleeping bags.

A new Food Purchase Program is providing funding for consistent monthly food supplies to the three food pantries in Lincoln County. And supporters are currently raising money to replace a 23-year-old milk drawer so no money has to be taken out of the food budget for it.

The Hunger Coalition provided food pantries with a sprinter van and The Community Library took its bookmobile to Richfield and Shoshone parks once a week during summer, offering books, snacks and fun activities.

The Shoshone Project facilitated a $5,000 grant for dental equipment for Family Health Services Clinic’s new clinic, which will offer dental services on a sliding scale. The Shoshone Project also provided High Desert Collaborative scholarships to 39 students.

“High school kids have begun getting better grades. School kids are healthier and happier,” said Wood. “Before, they didn’t know what they wanted to be. Now they want to go to college. They want to play football.”

Stark said people left deeply moved.

“Together, we can close the gap and keep the momentum going,” she added. “Every gift matters, and every connection builds a stronger future for Lincoln County families who are part of our workforce here in Blaine County--and for our entire region.”

Those who would like to learn more or make a contribution can visit www.shoshoneproject.com. A video, “The Space Between Us,” that highlights the challenges facing families in Lincoln County and the work of nonprofits to meet those needs can be watched at https://vimeo.com/1108838126/21681f6a11?ts=0&share=copy.