Blog & Newsletter

For August, Mikel has selected American Made: What Happens to People When Work Disappears by Farah Stockman. In American Made, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Farah Stockman follows three workers whose lives are changed when the Indianapolis factory where they work closes. As they face the loss of jobs that once provided stability, purpose and a sense of belonging, each person must decide what comes next. The book looks beyond the economic effects of a factory closing. It e

The Council of Community Services invites the community to tour our newly renovated homeless shelter and supportive housing during an open house on Tuesday, September 29. The renovations, made possible through funding from the Wyoming Community Development Authority, have transformed the shelter into a safer, more functional, and more welcoming space for individuals and families in need. A more functional space for shelter guests The renovation expanded and reconfigured sever

This WyoGives, we are highlighting the people who help make our work here at Council of Community Services possible. Trends Furniture opened in 1996 with a mission to provide quality products at affordable prices to people in the community from all walks of life. Rebekah and Dan took over when the founder retired in 2014. Through customers’ faithful support of this family-owned and operated store, they have expanded their mission. One way is “Make a Difference Days,” where th

This month, our book club is reading Maddi’s Fridge by Lois Brandt and Vin Vogel. Feel free to read along at your own pace. We won’t be hosting any formal discussions, but we always enjoy hearing your thoughts on social media or by email. Maddi’s Fridge is a children’s book about friendship, hunger, and what it can feel like when a family does not have enough food at home. Through a simple and thoughtful story, the book offers a gentle way to talk with children about food ins

This month, our book club is reading Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder. Feel free to read along at your own pace. We won’t be hosting any formal discussions, but we always enjoy hearing your thoughts on social media or by email. Nomadland follows older Americans who, after facing job loss, financial hardship, or the loss of traditional housing, begin living on the road while working seasonal jobs across the country. Through personal st

This story is part of Council of Community Services’ WyoGives Interview Series, sharing conversations with the people who know the Council’s work best. For Randi Krenzelok, Soup Kitchen Manager, the mission is simple and deeply important: everyone needs to eat. Randi first learned about the Soup Kitchen through a friend, Chris Wolbert, who was preparing to take over for the retiring manager at the time. “I learned about the Soup Kitchen through a good friend, Chris Wolbert, w

This story is part of Council of Community Services’ WyoGives Interview Series, sharing conversations with the people who know the Council’s work best. Key’Anna Crawford has been with Council of Community Services for one year and seven months. She serves as a Shelter Intake Specialist, a role she did not originally imagine for herself, but one that has become deeply meaningful. “I have always wanted a career focused on helping people for as long as I can remember. Working in

This story is part of Council of Community Services’ WyoGives Interview Series, sharing conversations with the people who know the Council’s work best. For Eliza Huber, Shelter Intake Specialist, the work is personal, emotional, and deeply human. Eliza has been with the Council for two years, but before joining the shelter team, she worked as a Registered Nurse. “I am a Registered Nurse (RN) by trade, but I felt a strong pull to help people in a different way. The world can b

This story is part of Council of Community Services’ WyoGives Interview Series, sharing conversations with the people who know the Council’s work best. For Sherrie Costello, Emergency Assistance and Section 8 Housing Intake, the Council is a safety net for neighbors facing urgent needs, housing challenges, and difficult seasons. Sherrie has been with the Council for 14 and a half years. During that time, she has worked in many roles. Today, she helps clients secure vouchers f

This story is part of Council of Community Services’ WyoGives Interview Series, sharing conversations with the people who know the Council’s work best. For Wanda Koffler, Way Station Supervisor, this work is deeply personal. Since joining the Council on October 19, 2020, Wanda has brought lived experience, dedication, and empathy to her role at the Way Station. Her work centers around crisis response, trust, stability, and helping people feel seen during some of the hardest m

This WyoGives, Council of Community Services is sharing the stories of the people behind the work and the neighbors impacted by it. For Tracy Obert, Housing Program Manager, that story is deeply personal. Before she ever worked at the Council, Tracy came here for help. Twenty years later, she now helps others find safety, stability, and support. This year marks Tracy’s 20th year with the Council. When asked if she ever imagined she would still be here two decades later, her a

This WyoGives, Council of Community Services is sharing stories from the people who know the work best. Each story offers a different look at why local support matters and how every gift helps neighbors in Campbell County. For Lana Randen-Gaskins, board member, the Council is more than a service organization. It is a place of hope for people who may not know where else to turn. “In 2015, I was laid off from my job and had some time on my hands, so the previous director at the

This WyoGives, Council of Community Services is sharing stories from the people who know the work best. Each story offers a different look at why local support matters and how every gift helps neighbors in Campbell County. For Stasi Shippy, Council of Community Services board member and longtime donor, supporting the Council is one of the most direct ways to help people in need. Stasi has served on the Council’s board since March of 2024, but her connection to the organizatio

This month, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, our book club is reading The Comfort Book by Matt Haig. Feel free to read along at your own pace. We won’t be hosting any formal discussions, but we always enjoy hearing your thoughts on social media or by email. Unlike a traditional book, The Comfort Book is a collection of short reflections, lists, and notes centered around mental health, hope, and getting through difficult moments. It’s not something that needs to be r

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. For many people in our community, mental health challenges don’t happen in isolation. They’re often connected to housing, food, and financial stability. At the Council of Community Services, we see this every day. In 2025, our shelter served an average of 30 individuals each month. Of those, an average of 24 people reported having a mental health condition. That’s the majority of the people walking through our doors, and it reflects somet

This month, we’re excited to share Mikel’s book club pick: Palaces for the People by Eric Klinenberg. If you’re looking for a thoughtful, perspective-shifting read, this is a great one to explore at your own pace. As always, we won’t be hosting formal meetings, but we welcome any thoughts or takeaways shared with us on social media or via email. In Palaces for the People , Klinenberg introduces the idea of “social infrastructure,” the physical spaces that bring people togeth

For many people, giving is something they think about during tax season. It’s a time when finances are top of mind, and for some, that includes supporting organizations and causes they care about. While one-time donations are the most common way to give, they are not the only option. There are several ways people choose to support nonprofit organizations, each offering different benefits depending on personal goals and circumstances. One option is a donor-advised fund. This a

If you’ve spent time in our community, there’s a good chance you’ve seen Anthony. Maybe passing by on a sidewalk, sitting quietly in a public space, or stopping in for a warm meal at the soup kitchen. Like so many others, Anthony’s story was easy to overlook—but behind it was a man navigating tremendous challenges largely on his own. Anthony lives with schizophrenia and had gone several years without treatment. Without a strong support system, his condition made it difficult

March is National Nutrition Month , a time to focus on healthy food choices and access to nutritious meals. In Campbell County, many families are working hard but still struggling to keep their kitchens stocked. The Council of Community Services helps bridge that gap by providing consistent, reliable hunger relief across our community. What Hunger Looks Like in Our Community In 2024, the need for food assistance continued to grow: Nearly 20,000 hot lunches were served at our

This month, in honor of March being Nutrition Month, our book club is reading Reinventing Food Banks and Pantries: New Tools to End Hunger by Katie S. Martin. Feel free to read along with us at your own convenience and pace! We will not be hosting any book club meetings, but we would love to hear what people think via social media or email. In the book, Martin challenges a long-standing belief in hunger relief: that distributing more food will solve hunger. If that were tru