Lander, Wyoming
About the business community:
Ranked as one of the best outdoor towns in America, Lander is a laid-back community, offering a wide variety of cultural, artistic and outdoor activities. Its picturesque Main Street and being a gateway into the Wind River Mountains attracts visitors from all over the world. This small mountain town is also well known for working together, community pride, and small business support.
How COVID affected things:
The pandemic hit hard many businesses, nonprofits and individuals in Lander, especially in the beginning when people stayed at home, tourism dropped and businesses scaled back services. A compassionate, connected community, Lander quickly responded with a multitude of community resources and ways to volunteer. Unfortunately, there was not one place for residents to easily find information and resources.
How Lander reacted:
Lander Chamber of Commerce, Lander Community Foundation, and Lander Economic Development Association developed an online resource for Lander area businesses, nonprofits, healthcare workers, and other services to inform residents of available resources. The website includes donation options, a community directory, volunteer opportunities, how to apply for financial assistance, and a way to disseminate accurate and updated information. The LOR Foundation paid for website development.
What the future holds:
The Lander United website represents a much bigger effort to further grow the Lander community and its organizations into a united front. The website will be a valuable resource for the community even after the pandemic, for people new to town or people that have been here a long time.
"We're creating a reputation that Lander is a place where organizations and the citizens come together and make things happen. I think that this is one of these successes that we didn't necessarily foresee, which always makes it sweeter."
- Mary Greene, Executive Director of Lander Community Foundation