STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

The Shoshone Project has appointed Naomi Spence as its first executive director.

Spence will start on Oct. 1 after 17 years of nonprofit leadership with the Hunger Coalition in Bellevue where she expanded food security programs and built collaborative partnerships.

"Naomi is an exceptional leader whose experience, integrity, and passion for community align perfectly with our mission," said Candice Stark, Board Chair of Shoshone Project. "As the Shoshone Project continues to grow, we are thrilled to have someone with Naomi's vision and leadership guiding our future."

“It’s kind of bittersweet leaving The Hunger Coalition after 17 years,” added Spence. “But now I get to watch the next generation grow it. I’ve got teens at home so this gives me a little more time to be there for them. And I’m excited about The Shoshone Project—I love to build things.”

The Shoshone Project began with a Warm Clothing and Food Drive serving a handful of families in Shoshone in 2020. Since, it has expanded beyond a seasonal program to help hundreds of families in the Shoshone and Richfield areas with afterschool care and more.

Rather than creating new services, Shoshone Project partners with local leaders to identify unmet needs and invest in the organizations already serving their communities.

"We learned early on that our role wasn't to replace great organizations," Stark said. "Our role is to strengthen them."

This year alone, Shoshone Project has:

Paid off the mortgage on the Lincoln County Youth Center's Early Learning Center, allowing more resources to be directed toward children.

Funded the launch of a free pre-kindergarten readiness program.

Helped keep Lincoln County's two senior centers open during a period of financial uncertainty.

Purchased new computers for the Shoshone Public Library after grant funding disappeared.

Continued its monthly protein purchase program, ensuring food pantries in Lincoln and Camas counties can provide meat and eggs to local families.

Partnered with local schools to launch Lincoln County's first countywide youth snack program this fall, helping children access nutritious food beyond the school day.

"These aren't glamorous projects," Stark said. "They're the kinds of needs that often fall between the cracks in small communities. But they're exactly the investments that keep programs alive, strengthen organizations and help children, families, and seniors thrive."

Spence said that Shoshone was simply a town she drove through on her way to somewhere else before she began collaborating ith the Shoshone Project.

"After nearly two decades working alongside families, one lesson stands out: financial hardship never tells the whole story. Families can struggle to make ends meet while also raising children rooted in love, strong values, hard work, and service to others,” she said. “That is exactly what I have witnessed in Lincoln County. I am honored to join Shoshone Project and work alongside so many dedicated partners to help strengthen these communities for generations to come."

The Shoshone Project was started as a way to help the housekeepers, landscapers, nurses and others who drive from their homes in Lincoln County into Blaine County each day to work.

"We often think of Blaine County and Lincoln County as separate places," Stark said. "But we are one interconnected economic region. Every day, hundreds of people commute north to work in the Wood River Valley. They care for our families, build our homes, educate our children, provide healthcare and keep our local economy running. When these families have access to food, childcare, strong schools, and community support, the entire region benefits."

Learn more at https://www.shoshoneproject.org/.