February 2, 2022
A Year of Love in Action: Reflecting on 2025 and Imagining What’s Possible in 2026
As one year closes and another begins, the Hughes Charitable Foundation pauses to reflect on what it means to love our neighbors well - across changing seasons, evolving needs, and communities spread far and wide across Wyoming. This moment invites both gratitude for what has been accomplished and curiosity about what might be possible next.
“Looking back at 2025 we remember the feelings of excitement and joy that occasioned each act of service for a neighbor,” said Hunter Christensen, Senior Vice President for the Hughes Charitable Foundation, “and those feelings point us to opportunities to love our neighbors a little more in 2026!”
“Love in action is what defines Wyoming,” says Molly Hughes, Executive Director of Hughes Charitable Foundation.
Go and Do Likewise: Five Years of Love in Action
In 2025, HCF celebrated five years as an incorporated foundation… five years of partnerships rooted in compassion, trust, and community. Across Wyoming, HCF grants have helped bring meaningful projects to life: safe and welcoming outdoor spaces, opportunities for youth to build confidence and skills, and places where connection and healing can happen.
Families finding moments of peace, young people gaining confidence, and seniors building friendships all reflect what “love in action” looks like in practice.
“Every grant, every partnership is a chance to make Wyoming stronger and more compassionate,” said Hunter Christensen, HCF Senior VP.
Learn more here.
In the rest of this blog post, we will highlight a handful of examples from 2025 that spark excitement in us as we look ahead at opportunities to continue loving our neighbors in 2026.
Using the Power of Philanthropy: WyoFunders
Collaboration is essential to creating meaningful, lasting change. Through WyoFunders, an affinity group of Wyoming-based philanthropists and foundations (including HCF) partners come together to better understand community needs, share ideas, and align resources for greater impact across the state.
By fostering open dialogue between donors, nonprofits, and policymakers, WyoFunders helps ensure that philanthropic efforts are informed, responsive, and grounded in the realities Wyoming families face - today and into the future.
Learn more here.
Using the Power of Philanthropy: WyoFunders
In Douglas, Youth Development Services (YDS) provides a safe haven for Wyoming youth and families navigating some of life’s most difficult challenges. From crisis beds and emergency support to life skills programming and family services, YDS works to ensure young people have the stability and care they need to thrive.
By strengthening family connections and supporting youth through moments of crisis and growth, YDS helps build healthier futures for individuals and communities alike. Their work is a powerful reminder that when we invest in youth, we invest in Wyoming’s future.
Learn more here.
Spotlight: Supporting Survivors of Domestic Violence in Wyoming
Across Wyoming, survivors of domestic violence face unique and often compounding challenges: rural isolation, limited access to safe housing, transportation barriers, and scarce trauma-informed services. During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we reflected on both the courage of survivors and the organizations walking alongside them every day.
Organizations such as Turning Point, Safehouse Services, Family Crisis Center, and the Self Help Center are on the front lines, providing emergency shelter, legal advocacy, counseling, and pathways to long-term stability. Working in collaboration with healthcare providers, law enforcement, schools, government agencies, and volunteers, these organizations help ensure survivors are not navigating these challenges alone.
Survivor stories across the state reflect extraordinary resilience, parents rebuilding stable homes for their children, individuals regaining independence after fleeing abuse, and families finding safety, dignity, and hope. These stories remind us that safety is only the first step; lasting recovery requires sustained support and strong community networks.
Spotlight: Building a Stronger Food System with the Wyoming Food Coalition
As food insecurity continues to rise across the state, the Wyoming Food Coalition is working to build a more just, equitable, and resilient food system for all Wyomingites. Today, 1 in 6 residents, and 1 in 5 children, face hunger, underscoring the urgent need for coordinated, statewide solutions.
The Coalition brings together local producers, food access organizations, and advocates to address both immediate needs and root causes of food insecurity. Barriers such as distance to grocery stores, transportation challenges, rising food costs, stigma around food assistance programs, and Wyoming’s unique agricultural constraints all contribute to gaps in access.
At the same time, local food systems offer powerful opportunities, strengthening local economies, creating jobs, reducing food waste, and improving health outcomes. Through education, coalition-building, policy advocacy, and community-driven strategies, the Wyoming Food Coalition is helping communities move toward long-term food security across Wyoming.
Learn more here.
One truth rises again and again: when communities unite in service, generosity, and love, Wyoming becomes stronger, kinder, and more vibrant. As the Hughes Charitable Foundation enters our next five years of loving our neighbors, we invite you to continue doing the same… each day, in ways both big and small.
“Looking ahead, our mission is simple,” says Molly Hughes, Executive Director of the Hughes Charitable Foundation. “That we continue showing up for one another - with generosity, curiosity, and love - because that’s how strong, resilient communities are built.”
Whether through volunteering, financial support, advocacy, or simple acts of kindness, every effort matters. Together, let’s continue in 2026 to go, and do likewise.
