BY KAREN BOSSICK

Volunteers with The Shoshone Project are rubbing their hands in glee after wrapping up their Fifth Annual Warm Clothing and food Drive.

The effort was able to provide food, clothing and presents to more than 170 families in Lincoln County, up from 150 last year. It served more than 800 children and adults with winter clothing, two bags of food packed with fresh produce, a holiday ham, fresh tamales, homemade cookies, presents for children and 4100 grocery gift cards.

“It’s inspiring to witness how this event brings our community together year after year,” said Ryan Gates, Board Member of the Shoshone Project. “This year, we provided critical support to over 800 individuals, and we couldn’t have done it without the incredible generosity of our volunteers, donors, and community partners.”

These youngsters enthusiastically rifled through the coat section.

Hundreds of Blaine County residents donated clothing and financial support, baked cookies and wrapped presents.

Those contributing clothing included Atkinson’s in Ketchum and Hailey, Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints, Gather Yoga, Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church, Re/Max Sun Valley, Silver Creek Outfitters, St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Starbucks, Sun Valley Community School and the Wood River Jewish Center.

Other significant contributors were Herbert Romero of Neighbors Helping Neighbors; Bigwood Bread, which donated dozens of cookies; The City of Ketchum for lending space for Santa’s Workshop to wrap presents; Costco for a significant financial donation; FarmHouse Grocery in Shoshone for offering discounted prices on gift cards and produce; Hunger Coalition for donating canned goods, produce, and turkeys; Kiwanis Club of Hailey for a donation to purchase gifts for children; Jim Kuehn for donating storage space in Shoshone for donated clothing; Lincoln County Community Center for the donation of their facility for the distribution of items; Silver Creek Outfitters for their coat event benefiting Shoshone Project, and Sun Valley Resort for staging a clothing drive for the Shoshone Project during their Pray for Snow Party.

“We wish everyone could have been there to experience the magic the day we distributed the food and clothing,” said Karla Davis, a board member of The Shoshone Project. “The gratitude felt by both volunteers and recipients was palpable. One volunteer shared, ‘Clearly, there is a lot of need, and I see that everyone here feels respected.’ ”

These were among the volunteers that helped with The Shoshone Project’s holiday drive.

Those with the Shoshone Project expect that the need in Lincoln Country, where nearly 40 percent of Blaine County’s workforce lives, will contribute to grow in 2025. Among the projects it hopes to further is the building of a teen center and a new pool facility.

To learn more or to donate, visit https://www.shoshoneproject.com.

This youngster has plenty of potatoes and onions to take home—if there’s the muscle power to lift it all!

Among those with broad smiles was this mother and her baby.