In Their Words: What LOR’s Time in Lander Meant

Over our last six years in Lander, the most poignant insights we’ve gleaned weren’t from individual projects LOR supported. Instead, they came from seeing how a community comes together and solves problems. We learned that one person leading a project can spawn 20 more. We learned that great ideas can find homes in all kinds of places: churches, schools, VFWs, city government, and more. And we learned that Lander can build a library for more than books; in fact, Lander can build one for just about anything, because in rural places where there is already less, people have to share more.

When we began working with Lander, LOR often provided funding for projects that filled in the gaps for various parts of the community: search and rescue equipment, critical COVID response support, opportunities for Lander youth both in and out of school, and essential new equipment of all kinds. As the years ticked by, filling the gaps became a smaller portion of our funding. Locals led projects that sought to address not just what Lander needed, but what it wanted: more places to gather, meet, and build connections. The Wyoming Outdoor Council’s new conference room, the Free Church’s event space, the Toy Library, and the Learning Resources Library—all available for community use—provide examples of this. Today, that combination of needs and wants is reflected in a diverse landscape of LOR-supported community assets that will continue to serve Lander long after LOR is gone—the Free Medical Clinic, downtown bike racks, even the mural on the Bossert Building.

But physical things eventually fade or outlive their usefulness. The thing we really hope LOR has helped leave behind? An even stronger collective sense of can-do, growing the ranks of experienced doers connected by a shared sense of community. We’ve seen it in the sheer number of champions who have led projects—more than 250—with about 40% of them coming back to lead more than one. We’ve seen it in Lander’s next generation of leaders, too; many young people have launched projects, from teaching poetry, pet, and nature classes at the Learning Resources Library to planting shade trees along the Baldwin Creek Elementary School walking path. Most of all, we’ve seen it in the the feedback from locals who have led projects supported by LOR. When we asked them what they had learned about their community over the past six years, many of the responses centered on a growing sense of connection and an appreciation for the people who make Lander an incredible place to live. So don’t take our word for it. Take theirs.