A Community Effort: Vouchers Added to Holiday Baskets to Offset Higher Food Costs

For more than 50 years, community members in Lander have organized a food basket program for neighbors in need of meals and gifts during the holidays. Baskets are traditionally packed and sorted by volunteers at the Holy Rosary Catholic Church in the week leading up to Christmas, then either picked up in person or hand-delivered by members of the Elks Club. In 2021, a disruption in the supply chain forced organizers to substitute canned ham for frozen turkeys—a change that not only increased the cost of each meal, but also decreased the amount of food the program could offer to families in need. (Although Christmas Food Baskets volunteers have an established fundraising program, the amount raised in 2021 was not enough to cover the unexpected cost increase.) Organizers approached LOR with a truly community-oriented solution: add to each Christmas basket “Lander Bucks”—Chamber of Commerce vouchers that can be used at local grocery stores and other businesses. With LOR underwriting the cost of the vouchers, 250 Lander families were able to supplement their Christmas baskets.

This project is fiscally sponsored by Holy Rosary Catholic Church.