BY KAREN BOSSICK

Last year volunteers filled a small home in Shoshone with winter coats, sweaters, mittens, socks and food boxes.

This year members of The Shoshone Project needed a warehouse-sized room at the town’s 4-H building to house everything they collected in their third annual winter clothing and food drive.

Indeed, a village had come together to make that happen. Baristas at Starbucks in Ketchum collected warm clothing and presents, as did Mane Muse, The Mill, The Wood River Jewish Community and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  Students of Sun Valley Community School and Community Table/Mesa Comunitar not only collected warm clothing but made homemade cookies.

Glanbia contributed cheese and Charlie’s Produce and Kraay’s provided discounted fresh produce. And countless others made cash donations.

The project’s elves thumbed their noses at bitter cold temperatures in the low teens last week to pick up groceries from Albertson’s in Hailey, the Hunger Coalition in Bellevue and Costco in Twin Falls, along with hams donated by members of the Sun Valley Culinary Institute.

They filled their Subarus and Teslas with the donated clothing and tamales provided by a Hispanic woman in Carey.

Then the elves from the Wood River Valley joined hands with a handful of elves from Shoshone to put together food boxes for a hundred families. The finishing touch: A $25 gift card to the FarmHouse Grocery Store that volunteers slipped into each box.

“We marveled at the fact that last year we provided holiday food boxes for 43 families and, this year, we were providing food boxes for a hundred families. And the amount of wonderful donated clothing was incredible!” said Head Elf Candice Stark, who founded the project after realizing that the Wood River Valley’s robust nonprofit outreach rarely extended to its neighbors to the south, even though many of those residents work in the Wood River Valley.

Having achieved success on the collection end, the volunteers began to entertain a few doubts, Stark said. Would a hundred families show up for all this clothing and food?

They need not have worried.

Julia Borrayo, who co-founded the drive with Stark three years ago, had invited a hundred families to avail themselves of the food and clothing, and there was not a single no-show.

“Sadly, we had an additional 16 families that showed up that we could not provide food boxes for. But they did get to choose some warm clothing,” said Stark.

In addition to providing basic necessities the Shoshone Project elves wrapped 135 presents, including an  O.M.G. Fashion and Make Up Designer box that put a big smile on the face of one little girl. And a quiet young man named Raul donned a smile and a white beard around his neck to play Santa.

“The outpouring of generosity from the Wood River Valley and beyond has been amazing,” said Stark. “Many people get the fact that a lot of folks in these rural communities in and around Shoshone work in the Wood River Valley. We need them and they need us!”

“I’m always inspired by the compassion and generosity in our community,” added Starbucks owner Jane Rizzo, who not only collected clothing but led a shopping spree to Twin Falls to buy toys.

The Shoshone Project was sparked by Spark's simple question to her friend Julie Borrayo at the onset of the COVID pandemic: "What's going on down there while we're sheltering in place?"

Borrayo noted that she didn't know many of her neighbors because they were always gone working but that all their cars were in the driveway. Upon investigating she found that some where having trouble paying rent and buying food since their jobs had been temporarily halted.

Borrayo and Stark sent out emails to friends and they responded by providing Thanksgiving meal for a dozen families. Then several Wood River Valley residents adopted those families for Christmas providing them with trees and other holiday items.

Those who live in Shoshone and its surrounding communities don’t have access to the resources available in Blaine County, said Stark. Many were badly impacted by the pandemic and many are still struggling because of inflation.

“They’re struggling with the loss of jobs and wages and the high cost of just about everything!” said Stark, whose leadership circle now includes Ryan Gates, Missi Griffin, Jane Rizzo, Calysta Phillips, Herbert Romero and Patti McGrath. “We’re not a 501C3. We are just a bunch of neighbors helping neighbors.  And the generous donations we have collected during the holiday months has a direct impact on these families and is helping to create a bond between our communities.”

Come summer The Shoshone Project will organize its third annual five-day Shoshone Summer Camp. The camp fielded more than 40 children last summer.

“Last summer was our second year of Shoshone Summer Camp and, each year, we learn more. We begin to fully grasp the lack of resources available in the Shoshone community, the need as evidenced by all the children that showed up, and the willingness of both the Wood River Valley AND Shoshone communities to get involved,” Stark said.

Last summer campers took a field trip to the local county fair where many learned about 4-H for the first time. They went swimming at the local pool, planted seeds to take home, played soccer and flag football and took part in three-legged races, water balloon fights and relay races carrying eggs on spoons. And they competed in a scavenger hunt in which they looked for bugs, flowers, animal tracks, worms and “something surprising,” and “something beautiful,”

“Thank you for the backpacks. Thank you for the gift cards. Thank you for being you—an asome (SIC) person,” write Darwin H., a grateful camper

“We accomplished our goal of bringing summer fun to a lot of children that don’t have access to those sorts of activities,” observed Stark. “We played games, provided snacks and sandwiches and ice cream and watermelon. And we provided them with backpacks loaded with school supplies and $35 gift cards. The children were thrilled, as were their parents.”

This summer organizers are also entertaining the idea of a community garden after learning that many of those involved in the food and clothing drive would be interested in working in a community garden.

“We took a n informal survey and 90 people said they would like to volunteer," said Stark. "I think this is a heartwarming story of how our community—both individuals and organizations--are rallying to support our neighbors beyond the borders of Blaine County. We just want to connect our communities and support one another so both can thrive."

Want to get involved or learn more? Email info@shoshoneproject.com or call 650-773-0124.