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Our Team

The Food Pantry employs staff members who work with volunteers and partners to ensure that there is a healthy variety of food available and that everyone in need is served. We also have a dedicated workforce of over ninety volunteers who donate over two hundred hours of their time and labor each month to the pantry. 

Staff

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Sue Heffron

   Executive Director

Sue has been in the valley over thirty years and lives in Alta with her husband, Andy. They have raised three children and are blessed with eight grandchildren! Food has always been a passion for Sue, especially learning to grow things at this altitude.  When offered the job at the Pantry, Sue found herself at home, surrounded by great people- both volunteers and clients. Other passions include hiking, snowshoeing, reading and spending time with family and friends.

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Susan Austin

Digital Manager

Susan has lived the valley for over thirty years. She is passionate about food security and grateful to have the opportunity to give back to her community and be part of a team committed to ensuring everyone has access to healthy food. She enjoys exploring wild country, writing, reading, and getting her hands in the dirt.

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Angela Daft

    Operations Manager 

Angela Daft grew up North of Chicago in an Italian American family, got her degree at University of Wisconsin in Conservation Biology and Environmental Studies with a minor in Spanish, and moved to Idaho in 2000 to study birds in the field. She has a diverse background in the community working as a server, a homebirth midwife's assistant, a music store owner, a bookkeeper, and front of house manager at various local businesses. she goes to Mexico a few times a year to visit friends and bring art supplies to local kids, hundreds of pounds a visit to over 150 kids every time. She is so excited to be at the pantry as she has been volunteering for years.

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Theresa Paradis

Food Rescue Program Coordinator

Theresa has lived in Teton Valley over 30 years, and with her husband, raised two outdoor-loving college graduates. She has been a passionate volunteer with food rescue programs since 2017. She is committed to helping our neighbors receive nutritious food,
and is passionate about serving others. She is an animal caregiver, and advocate for homeless animals and promoting compassion. “The only cure is kindness”! Among many interests, she loves to hike with her family and dogs, and creating art projects.

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Marianne Sturken

   Pantry Assistant

Marianne became involved with the Pantry as a volunteer. She was eager to join the staff when the Pantry Assistant job became available. On a whim, Marianne moved to the Tetons in 1992 to ski and explore the mountains. A nature lover, she enjoys hiking with Jasper, her beloved Border Collie, working with and riding horses, gardening, and painting.

Board of Directors

"What an honor to serve Teton Valley as a new Board Member of Teton Valley Food Pantry. I am excited to join the team as it navigates the difficulty of food insecurity for so many of our neighbors. I hope to bring the insight of someone who has worked with underserved populations in the urban and rural areas where I have lived."

 

Debbie and her husband, Bob, have had a home in Teton Valley since 1994. The most rewarding aspect of her nursing career was her Clinical Practice as a Family Nurse Practitioner for twenty years. 

 

Volunteering has been a constant in her life as a parent, nurse, and community member. She has volunteered at many of our local nonprofits.

 

Debbie loves the four seasons of Teton Valley, finding winter the most enjoyable. She loves her book club, reading, baking, cooking, and traveling the world. Her companions on many of her outdoor adventures are Bob and her golden retriever, Finnegan Driggsby.

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Debbie Whipple

Board Chair

Raised on her family's dude ranch near Dubois, Wyoming, Joanne has lived in Teton Valley since 1995. "Although the valley has seen changes over the past twenty-five years, the sense of community has not changed, thank goodness! I am honored to join the Teton Valley Food Pantry Board of Directors. It is a privilege to serve alongside this group of passionate volunteers and staff."

 

When Joanne is not working as a real estate broker with Jackson Hole Sotheby's International Realty in Driggs, she can be found on her small farm in Victor, moving irrigation pipes to raise hay, mending fences, and gardening. Joanne's other passions include mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding, and Nordic skiing with her sweetheart Kib and golden retriever.

 

"I grew up learning that many hands make light work. The Pantry embodies this idea to the fullest. In our small community, it is inspiring to be part of an organization with nearly 100 volunteers dedicated to the mission that no one in Teton Valley should go hungry. I hope to contribute to the growth and strength of this vital non-profit organization for many years to come."

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Joanne LaBelle

Member

Ruth Rodriguez was born in Hidalgo, Mexico. She received a BA in English Language Teaching as a Second Language and a Master's in Humanistic Psychopedagogy. She has worked at all school levels, including teaching adult learners. Ruth worked in private schools in Mexico for seventeen years and has been in the States for the last five years as an ELL and Dual Immersion teacher from second to fifth grade.

 

"I am a person who likes to help others without receiving anything in return. I have in mind 'today for you, tomorrow for someone else,' and build a chain of favors, helping each other without taking advantage."

 

"I am proud of my roots and my values. I am happy to help and bloom where I am; it brings my heart joy.

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Ruth Rodriguez

Member

Teton Valley has been Sue’s home for 20 years. She is a small scale farmer—an owner of Snowdrift Farms along with her partner Greg—and grows many varieties of vegetables, herbs, and flowers, some of which are grown for the Food Pantry. She loves the mountains and the wildlife of the area, and is always up for an outdoor adventure. Sue joined the board of the Food Pantry in fall 2022.


“I found myself drawn to this organization through my own connection with food. Our farm and eating our own fresh produce makes us so happy, and I like to share that. I am concerned with people not having enough food on the table, as well as not knowing how to prepare healthy food and why it’s important. I enjoy fostering connections between clients at the Pantry and local food, and am psyched to contribute to the well-being of our community through work on the Food Pantry board.”

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Sue Miller

Secretary

Tim moved to the valley in March 2020 to be closer to his children and their families. "I absolutely love this beautiful area and all the wonderful people I have known and worked with." 

 

Tim served in the United States Marine Corps as a Captain. Following the Marine Corps, he had various roles in sales and management.  

 

He is retired and the proud father of two children and four grandchildren. "In my free time, I enjoy being with my family, reading, caring for our three acres, and participating in many wonderful activities at Seniors West of the Tetons."

 

Tim joined the Food Pantry Board in June 2022. "It is a privilege to serve on the board, where I can help to strengthen and advance the pantry's mission. The staff and board are committed to serving those needing our services."

 

Tim also enjoys the opportunity to volunteer at the pantry. "I love working with the Pantry Team and the people who shop there."

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Tim Foreman

Member

Diane has lived in Teton Valley for two decades, where she raised her two children, who are now independent adults. Originally from a dairy farm in the Midwest, Diane values sustainable food practices and community engagement. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, spending time on the river, and exploring new places. 

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Diane Temple

Treasurer

Julie is a freelance writer, a ski instructor in Jackson and a proud homeowner in Teton Valley. She writes for local magazines, coaches authors and does marketing and event planning for nonprofit organizations. She moved to Jackson in 2010 from her hometown of Rochester, New York and is grateful to have raised two kids in the mountains. When she’s not working, you may find her smiling on a downhill mountain bike or ski trail. She began working at the pantry as a distribution manager in 2021, a year after she moved to Teton Valley and joined the board in 2023 when she helped launch the pantry's Inaugural Harvest Dinner.

 

“Working at the food pantry is so rewarding. I feel like I have found a new family and I am fully invested in feeding this community.”

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Julie Kling

Member

Here. Until Hunger Isn't.

Hours

Monday & Wednesday

10 AM - 2 PM

5 PM - 7 PM

​Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

10 AM - 2 PM

​Closed Saturday & Sunday

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Get In Touch

481 N Main St, Driggs, ID 83422

(208) 354-1658

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Teton Valley Food Pantry, Inc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Federal ID #45-4252391

©2023 by Teton Valley Food Pantry

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