Resilient. Someone recently suggested this term to describe the Community Resource Center of Teton Valley (CRCTV) after a year spent responding to the pandemic. It caused us to pause and reflect. We most certainly had to flex, bend, think and reconfigure in order to rise to the challenges of 2020. Yet rise we did. With the help of generous donors, we were able to launch an online application that enabled us to keep both clients and staff safe while still providing much needed resources and financial assistance. Many families found themselves abruptly unemployed due to COVID-19, often transitioning overnight from a two-income household to no income at all. Many feared eviction, faced food insecurity, and were concerned about utility disconnection. New client numbers grew by over 400% in the spring. We were overwhelmed and forced to find new processes for daily tasks, but we persevered, and were resilient.
Our Food Rescue Program was forced to pivot as well. We suddenly had food coming in but no locations to distribute it to, as they were all closed. We aligned with the Teton Valley Food Pantry and offered food rescue items during their scheduled openings. Some days were harried, but with generous support of all kinds from our community, we continued to grow and serve.
Upon reflection, it became obvious how similar our actions have been to those of our clients. Typically, a client presents to the CRCTV during a time of need, feeling overwhelmed by life circumstances. They’re often frustrated and unable to find solutions to their crisis. With our assistance and guidance, clients are able to tap into their own strengths and abilities, using the same concepts of resilience to rise above the challenges that life presents.
Working through such a difficult time with the tremendous support of our wonderful community has been an uncanny reminder of the importance and impact of our work with clients. We struggled, yet were offered a hand by many. Some sent large donations, some dropped off gift cards, some simply reached out to check on our well-being. ALL the support mattered, and collectively it kept us running as smoothly as possible during such an unprecedented time. We pride ourselves on being able to pass that along to the folks who are our neighbors, friends, and employees.
With your continued support through Tin Cup we can continue to offer hope, guidance, and connection through our free, individualized services. We can cultivate better partnerships within the community to serve as a resource hub to anyone with a need. We can forge ahead with our current offerings and develop more capacity to administer specific programming based on client needs, which will further increase sustainable outcomes for our community.
As we move forward into a more hopeful time, let us remember that together we can all help to create a more resilient and sustainable Teton Valley community.
