WY We Serve

After a brief hiatus, Thomas and Kristen talk to Katie Guerin from the City Kids Wilderness Project. City Kids is a non-profit organization founded on the belief the enriching life experiences for DC youth can enhance their lives, the lives of their families, and the greater community. Katie tells us about the core framework of experiential learning, year-round academic opportunities, City Kid's commitment to diversity and inclusion, and most of all: their summer trips to Jackson, where the kids are fully immersed in a hands-on outdoor education.

Follow the links below to learn more about City Kids, Support their mission, and keep up with their latest adeventures!

After a week's hiatus, we're back with another great interview! On Thomas' first episode as a cohost, we sit down and chat with our good friend Amy Spieker, Director of Community Health and Analysis at the Cheyenne Regional Medical Center and Executive Director of the Laramie County Community Partnership (LCCP). Amy talks to us about turning data into action. She discusses the Laramie County Health Needs Assessment and talks about some of the exciting public health initiatives happening in Cheyenne such as the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program with the Cheyenne Police Department.

On Kristen's inaugural podcast as a cohost, we sit down with Charles Bloom and Mark Christensen.  Charles is the head of Planning and Development with the City of Cheyenne, and Mark works alongside him as Planner II.  We talk with Charles and Mark about Cheyenne's recent growth as a city and how they are facilitating affordable development through intentional planning.  They also walk us through the exciting West Edge Redevelopment, which is revitalizing the west side of Cheyenne.  Lastly, we look towards the future and discuss the Connect 2045 Transportation Update as well as the F.E. Warren missile upgrades coming later this decade.

We have a very special episode today.  Hugh and Dan introduce and interview the new hosts of the WY We Serve podcast, Kristen and Thomas, who will be taking over the show at the end of the summer.  Kristen is serving this year as the VISTA with the Aging Division at the Wyoming Department of Health, and Thomas is taking over Ken's role as the VISTA with Equal Justice Wyoming.  They tell us a bit about their backgrounds, what drew them to Wyoming and, most importantly, why they serve.

Happy Frontier Days!  This week we interview Rebecca Minyard, Program Director of Kinship Support Services and Self-Sufficiency with Community Action of Laramie County (CALC).  Rebecca walks us through Community Action's origins as well as her work with Project Hope and Kinship Support Services at CALC.  She also explains the various housing, case management, healthcare and rental assistance programs CALC administers to help people get back on their feet.

This week we are joined by Shirley Ann Higuchi, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation and author of Setsuko's Secret: Heart Mountain and the Legacy of the Japanese American Incarceration. Heart Mountain is the site of one of ten concentration camps across the United States that held over 120,000 American citizens of Japanese descent during World War II. Shirley takes us through the history of the forced removal of Japanese Americans in WWII as well as her own family's story of incarceration at Heart Mountain. She also tells us about the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation's educational efforts and their work to make sure that history is brought to light.

This week we are joined by Sarah Urbanek, the Executive Director of CASA of Laramie County. CASA, or Court Appointed Advocates for Children, are community volunteers who help represent an abused or neglected child's welfare in court. Sarah first started as an advocate in 2013 and currently serves as Executive Director of CASA of Laramie County. Today, she walks us through her history with the organization as well as her reflections on advocacy.

How does one create and coordinate a statewide fundraising event, raising over half-a-million dollars for 130 nonprofits in the midst of a global pandemic? To find out we talk with Jody Shields, Executive Director of the Wyoming Nonprofit Network and VP of the Align Team.  Jody is the driving force behind WyoGives, the largest single day of giving in the state of Wyoming.  This year, WyoGives is on Wednesday, July 14.  Be sure to check out their website and support your favorite Wyoming nonprofit!

This week we host our first panel discussion featuring three incredible leaders working to solve food insecurity in Wyoming.  On panel includes:

• Taylor Albert - Executive Director of Needs Inc. Food Pantry
• First Lady Jennie Gordon - Director of the Wyoming Hunger Initiative
• Peaches Tyrrell - Executive Director of the Friday Food Bag Foundation

Our panelists walk us through the state of food insecurity in Wyoming, how their organizations help to combat hunger and how they deal with the logistical challenges of food distribution.

Learn more on their websites:

To wrap up our Affordable Housing Awareness Week discussion series, we chat with Brenda Birkle, Executive Director of My Front Door.  My Front Door is a non-profit operating in Laramie County and Albany County dedicated to providing homeownership opportunities to low-income residents through financial education and savings programs.  Brenda introduces us to My Front Door's approach to affordable homeownership, their innovative Community Land Trust model, and the far-reaching impacts of homeownership.

For Thursday of Cheyenne's first Affordable Housing Awareness Week, we sit down with Kate Wright, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Laramie County–as well as Hugh and Dan's boss.  Kate walks us through the highlights of her nine years at Habitat, explains the Habitat model of homeownership and discusses Laramie County Habitat's first Veterans Build home.

As part of our Cheyenne Affordable Housing Awareness Week spotlight on housing, we talk with Robin Bocanegra, Executive Director of the COMEA Shelter in Cheyenne Wyoming.  Robin tells us about the history of COMEA as well as how they overcame the challenges presented by the pandemic.

This week, we interview Misty Savage, the Cheyenne Program Director for Climb Wyoming.  Climb's mission is to help low-income single mothers discover self-sufficiency through career training and placement.  Misty walks us through the program's method for success, breaks down the stressors and stigmas of single-motherhood, and reflects on Climb's legacy after 35 years as a nonprofit.

Ken Wallace returns for the second installment of an oral history on Equal Justice Wyoming's 10th Year Anniversary. See Ep. 10 for Part I.

This time, he is joined by Commissioner Mary Throne of the WY Public Service Commission and Senior Cheyenne Municipal Judge Tony Ross.

Commissioner Throne represented the 11th district from 2007 until 2017, while her counterpart Judge Ross served as Senator for the 4th district from 2005 through 2017. They are also, both, the co-authors of the Wyoming Civil Legal Services Act--which effectively outlines the policies and priorities of Equal Justice Wyoming. 

Commissioner Throne and Judge Ross join Ken to reflect on their time in the legislature, the legacy of the Wyoming Civil Legal Services Act, and how they hope Equal Justice Wyoming will "take the show back on the road" as the COVID-19 pandemic recedes.

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Commissioner Mary Throne:
https://psc.wyo.gov/about-us/commissioner-throne

Judge Tony Ross:
https://www.cheyennecity.org/Your-Government/Municipal-Court

EJW Facebook: 

ICYMI: We've updated our name and branding to reflect our expanded area of focus across the entire Cowboy State!

This week we talk to Matt Kaufman, partner at Hathaway & Kunz, LLP and recipient of the 2020 Pro Bono Award for Community Service from the Wyoming State Bar.  Matt tells us about his deep Wyoming roots and how that has fostered his dedication to the betterment of the state.  He also talks about exciting possibilities for the future of tech and start up culture in Wyoming and teaches us about crypto and the blockchain.

On our concluding episode of VISTA Voices, we talk to Dana Thompson, who is serving with the Cheyenne Regional Medical Center.  Dana tells us about her work this year implementing critical harm reduction programs across the Cheyenne community as well as expanding inclusivity in hospital policy.  She also talks about what inspires her to serve and her most memorable Wyoming experiences.

Apologies for missing our Monday release schedule, but not to worry! We have a very special Tuesday episode for you. On our penultimate edition of VISTA Voices, we interview Equal Justice Wyoming VISTA supervisor, Leora Hoshall, and our VISTA leader, Grant Gergen. Leora and Grant talk us about what goes into leading the EJW Cohort as well as why they choose to serve in the great state of Wyoming.

This week on VISTA Voices we interview Sam Mellema, serving with the Wyoming Children's Law Center.  Sam talks about his work at the law center handling digital outreach and fundraising efforts as well as improving data collection for juvenile justice across the state.  He also tells us about his Nebraska roots, the perks of VISTA service and the best parts of living in Wyoming.

For the second installment of VISTA Voices, we talk with Breana Griffin and Marilena Soberal, who are serving with the Wyoming Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault in Laramie and Fort Washakie.  Brea and Mari tell us about the work they have been doing to support and advocate for survivors and to promote inclusivity within the Coalition.  They also talk about the success of the #WyomingWearsTeal awareness campaign in April for Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Over the month of May, we will be dedicating our episodes to interviewing our fellow AmeriCorps VISTAs serving with the Equal Justice Wyoming cohort as part of series we are calling "VISTA Voices."  We kick things off talking to Daniel Barbakoff, who is serving with the Wyoming Department of Health's Aging Division.  Daniel tells us about his background, his favorite things about Wyoming and the projects he has worked on throughout his service.

This week, we chat with Jon and Renee Jelinek, owners of the Paramount Café and the Lincoln Theater in downtown Cheyenne.  Jon and Renee discuss their commitment to serving the community as well as their promotion of local art scene through their nonprofit, the Alternative Arts Project.

Come see some great performances during the Artist Discovery Series at the Lincoln this spring and summer!

CW: Suicide

On this episode, we're joined by two of Cheyenne's funniest folks: Dominic Syracuse, comic and emcee extraordinaire at Dillinger's Bar and CEO of Cognitive Behavior Theatre, and Rhianna Brand, Director of Partner Services at the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce, mental health advocate and standup comedian.  They share their experiences with mental health, their work in the field, and words of inspiration during the pandemic.

Find them at:

Rhianna

Hugh, Ken and Dan talk with Rachel Martinez, Executive Director of Family Promise, an organization dedicated to transitioning families out of homelessness.  We discuss the impact of the pandemic on shelter operations and the homeless population as well as Family Promise's homelessness diversion programs and the impact of homelessness on children's development.  (Recorded 3/19/2021)

For the tenth anniversary of the establishment of Equal Justice Wyoming, we interview Angie Dorsch, Executive Director of EJW and spouse of our cohost Dan.  Angie tells us about the impressive work EJW does in securing funding and coordinating civil legal services in across Wyoming.

This week we sit down with Nick Dodgson, owner of Cheyenne Motorsports.  In 2020, Nick started Cheyenne Cruise Nights to support local restaurants and nonprofits during the pandemic.  We talk to Nick about his generosity as a business owner, the preposterous story of how he arrived in Cheyenne, and what the Cheyenne community means to him.

Be sure to check out this year's Cruise Nights each Saturday from April 17th through October 30th!

On this episode, we speak with Tamara Moore and Michelle Coronado of the Unaccompanied Students Initiative, an organization dedicated to sheltering unaccompanied high school students in Cheyenne and Casper, Wyoming.

CW: Suicide

This week's guest is Jeremy Bay, Executive Director of Grace for 2 Brothers, a Cheyenne-based nonprofit dedicated to suicide prevention.  We each share personal experiences on how suicide has touched our lives, and Jeremy fills us in on the foundation's efforts to make a suicide-safe Wyoming.

Hugh, Ken and Dan chat with Michelle Sullivan, director of the Wyoming Afterschool Alliance, about Wyoming2030, an initiative examining and advocating for solutions to the challenges around education in Wyoming.

Learn more at

Hugh, Ken and Dan interview Carla Thurin, ED of Safehouse Services of Cheyenne. They discuss the new Fresh Start Fund, the assistance Safehouse provides to those suffering from DV/SA, human trafficking, and elder abuse as well as how Safehouse has managed to overcome the challenges presented by the pandemic.

Hugh, Ken and Dan talk with Wyoming Supreme Court Justice Lynne Boomgaarden about her trailblazing career and her love of Wyoming.

Visit our websites:

Hugh, Ken and Dan talk with local art teacher and comic book illustrator Chad Blakely about the work he has done for local nonprofits as well as his experience growing up in Rock Springs, Wyoming.

Check out Chad's artwork:

Your hosts Hugh, Ken and Dan introduce themselves, discuss Cheyenne and talk about the goals of the podcast.

Visit our websites: