Welcome to Cheyenne, Wyoming! Impact Cares came to the Missile Drive community in July to hopefully have a huge ‘impact’ on this historic place. Located close to the historic Johnson County War of 1892, this has been and in some ways still is a community filled with folks who are passionate about their community. You could say it is a bit of a rough and tumble sort of place to live.
While Impact Cares was there, we were able to experience Wyoming at its best. Cheyenne’s Frontier Days were in full swing while we were there and what fun it was. From rodeos to great food, this was an adventurous place to be. We ended up with over 50 volunteers who jumped right in so that together we were able to finish over 60 home improvements during out time there.
As in most communities, there are a wide variety of folks who live there. From one resident who is a veteran who reminisced about the days his grandfather, himself an immigrant, had flocks of sheep which the local cattlemen of the time did not appreciate, calling them 'range maggots!’ No doubt there were some ‘shootouts’ back in the day just as there were while we were there, only the modern days were a ‘put-on’ while the old days were for real.
Like in the old days when the locals would round up wild horses to use, trade or sell, we were able to experience a wild horse race during out time there. Of course in our short time there, Impact Cares had its own version of a race. Coordinating, supplying, feeding and getting everyone running the right direction makes for a sort of ‘wild-horse’ feeling. Yet, in the midst of all this activity of painting, skirting, cleaning, trimming, staining and everything else going on, if you slowed down a bit to listen to the folks, you would find some amazingly wonderful people.
For example, one resident, who lives with pain from a fall, was noted as saying, “Give me a chair to sit in and I can paint a deck, pull weeds, or direct people on how to build a deck." Those are the gems you find, even in this rough and tumble place, of folks who just want to lend a hand, do what they can and help improve their community.
The community dinner was great! There was great food for everyone. Cindy, one of Impact’s team members made some amazing side dishes and a great time was had by all. One resident, who has lived in the community for several decades, quipped, “This is the first community dinner I’ve been to and I love it!” Just like Cheyenne’s Frontier Days brings people together to build community spirit, so a community dinner can do the same.
From the mundane to the wild west of Wyoming, from houses needing a lot of tender loving care to those which are well kept, the Missile Drive community is filled with a wide variety of folks who love living in the west, among the wild horses, and love their community and desire to see it thrive as we all do in the places we live.