In a remarkable act of philanthropy that benefits both the youth and the seniors of Sheridan County, EMIT Technologies has found a way to bring giving full circle.
This year, EMIT purchased four hogs at the 4-H and FFA Youth Livestock Auction in August, had them processed in Buffalo at the USDA facility and donated the meat to The Hub on Smith.
“This specific donation of beef purchased from the FFA youth comes full circle, and reinforces our belief that the Hub on Smith is a Center for all generations,” Carmen Rideout, executive director for The Hub said.
When businesses step up to support organizations like the Hub, Sheridan becomes a place where people want to live for a lifetime, Rideout said.
“EMIT is a leader in our community and one of those organizations that are making a difference by giving of their time, talent and treasure,” she said.
For EMIT, it seemed fitting: Support the community’s hard working youth, who represent the future, while supporting other parts of the community as well.
“EMIT really wants to support the community, and especially youth and our aging population. The two tie so well together,” EMIT’s Internal Affairs and Public Relations Manager Michelle Butler said. EMIT is planning a day where several employees will volunteer at the Hub, highlighting how community partnerships benefit everyone.
“At the Hub, this level of involvement helps us do and provide more services and reach more people,” Rideout said. “It allows us to work from a scarcity mindset to one of abundance. It inspires the people who work here and the people who we serve. Over time, this type of support helps us be sustainable well into the future. We are grateful beyond words.”
The Hub’s Executive Chef Dan Cole said that the kitchen uses a portion of EMIT’s donation every day, adding that it has made the cost of fresh produce more bearable.
“We appreciate the things EMIT does for us so much. We use their donation in almost all of our meals,” Cole said. “We’ve been making pulled pork and we stuff tenderloins with cheese spinach. We’ve had ground pork for meatloaf and lasagna and gumbo. It has been a huge help to us.”
And the diners have noticed the quality addition to his meal rotation, Cole added.
“When we tend to use organic, local or grass-fed stuff, people can tell,” he said.
First and foremost, EMIT considers it a duty and honor to contribute to the health and growth of the Sheridan community.
“Through our initiatives to do community projects, we look for opportunities to support causes and the citizens of Sheridan and the surrounding community to make Wyoming a better place,” Butler said. “For us to attend the livestock sale, the youth of our community are important to the growth of Wyoming, and they represent the future. Those kids work hard and represent the values of EMIT. … And then in turn, by supporting the Hub at the same time, is a unique and exciting way to fill two needs with one opportunity.
“It is a pretty cool thing,” she said.
EMIT is not the only one doing this: Other companies and agencies purchased animals at the livestock sale to donate to a worthy cause, and that is as it should be, Butler said.
“We like to put the challenge back on the community,” she said. “Community support is not something that one company or one foundation can do. We all have a part in it.”
