Julia Conte
Staff Writer
When Mike Vercauteren started volunteering in 2017, he met an 84 year old man living in a chicken coup.
“He was homeless… and he was 84 years old… I was blown away, like how can that happen in Laramie, right?” asked Vercauteren, executive director at Laramie Interfaith Good Samaritan, “There’s thousands of people, that are real people… and they struggle…They’re still people and they still need help and support.”
Laramie Interfaith is dedicated to assisting the less fortunate in the Laramie community with as many ways they can provide. In order to do so, they will be hosting their annual Spring Fundraiser, The Good in All of Us, today.
Laramie Interfaith Good Samaritan began in 1988 when a group of churches banded together and decided to make a difference in the community. The organization was originally named the Interfaith Clearing House. It later became a 501(c)(3) non-profit, obtained a food pantry and has been growing ever since. Laramie Interfaith Good Samaritan is an organization not affiliated with any specific religion, but is supported by all aspects of the community, including churches.
The mission of the organization is to provide a means for the community and assist the less fortunate with meeting their basic needs.
The Good in All of Us fundraiser is meant to raise money for the organization in order to allow them to provide for as many people as they are able. 72 families requested rent assistance in January this year, however, only 35 of them were supported. In that same month, $37,867.83 was requested in rent assistance, and only $9,857.54 was provided.
“We always…are a little bit shorter on money after the holiday season…it’s a good time to fundraise and replenish our funds a little bit, this time of year,” said Abby Melbye, marketing and outreach coordinator for Laramie Interfaith, Good Samaritan and Americorps volunteer.
The 2020 Spring Fundraiser is the second in this new annual tradition. This year, Laramie Interfaith is proud to have moved their organization to a new building, which then allows them to be more accessible to the community.
The fundraiser is likely to draw about 200 people. The event is targeted towards those living in secure financial situations, including business owners, professionals and prominent figures in Laramie. The fundraiser is expected to raise enough money to cover about 100 rent payments.
“Food pantries are not as commonplace as they should be, but… they’re around… in laramie, and the amount of support that we get from the community…is astounding. There should be more places like this but there aren’t,” said Melbye.
Laramie Interfaith Good Samaritan is not only an organization, but a caring community with a goal of helping our neighbors in the county, because when it comes down to it, people are people and deserve a high quality of life no matter the scenario.
More information about the event and how to volunteer can be found by stopping in Laramie Interfaith or visiting their website, LaramieInterfaith.org.
