ARTICLE
346 Main Avenue, Suite 3A, Norwalk, CT 06851 | 203.750.0019 | fillingintheblanks.org Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter Member Profile | Member Since 2018 The mission of Filling in the Blanks is to fight childhood hunger by providing children in need with meals on the weekend. 29,400 children in Fairfield County do not know where their next meal will come from. Most eat breakfast and lunch at school on weekdays, but many will go from Friday lunch until Monday morning without a decent meal. Since 2013, FITB has been alleviating childhood hunger for low-income families by providing meals directly to the children each weekend, bridging the gap when they are not receiving nutrition from their schools, after-school programs, or summer camps. The expected outcome is to remove one worry from their lives, put them on more equal ground with their food-secure peers, and provide consistent nutritional support. The Weekend Meal Program has 3,200 children enrolled, who qualify for the free or reduced lunch program at their public school or are a part of the ALICE population, at 43 different sites in Fairfield and Westchester Counties. FITB is an established partner with school districts and community agencies who have direct access to these children. Every week, weekend meal bags containing: two milks, two breakfast items, two entrees, a vegetable, and four snacks are delivered to school/after-school programs and distributed to each child prior to dismissal on Friday. Fresh fruit is also delivered for each child to take home. The Weekend Meal Bags are provided once a week for 50 weeks of the year. During this COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever, that FITB continues to serve the most vulnerable children in our communities. The students enrolled in the Weekend Meal Program are the same students that received 80% of their nutrition from school-provided breakfast and lunch services. With school closures, weekend meals have become even more vital, as many parents are unable to work creating financial stress on families. We are continuing to deliver weekend bags at distribution sites to guarantee the children will continue to have the nutrition that their growing minds and bodies need, but have made some significant changes since the end of March: FITB has come up with creative and innovative delivery methods to reach all children. The overall need for meals has increased in the towns of Norwalk, Stamford, and Greenwich, CT. Previously enrolled schools have increased the number of meal bags needed. FITB has added 1000 children and the need is still rising. Some schools are receiving meal bags three times a week to ensure the children who are most in need also have dinner during the week. FITB has added 7 weeks to the yearly delivery since we are no longer following a school or camp calendar. Food Costs have gone up 18%. There has been an interruption to our fundraising, which could result in a decrease of over $500,000 in revenue. FITB cannot utilize volunteers to pack, so part-time staff is working overtime to ensure all meal bags are packed. There has never been a time that our kids cannot go back to school, they need us now, more than ever. Thank you for your support! To learn more about Filling in the Blanks visit our website at fillingintheblanks.org.
346 Main Avenue, Suite 3A, Norwalk, CT 06851 | 203.750.0019 | fillingintheblanks.org Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter Member Profile | Member Since 2018
The mission of Filling in the Blanks is to fight childhood hunger by providing children in need with meals on the weekend. 29,400 children in Fairfield County do not know where their next meal will come from. Most eat breakfast and lunch at school on weekdays, but many will go from Friday lunch until Monday morning without a decent meal. Since 2013, FITB has been alleviating childhood hunger for low-income families by providing meals directly to the children each weekend, bridging the gap when they are not receiving nutrition from their schools, after-school programs, or summer camps. The expected outcome is to remove one worry from their lives, put them on more equal ground with their food-secure peers, and provide consistent nutritional support. The Weekend Meal Program has 3,200 children enrolled, who qualify for the free or reduced lunch program at their public school or are a part of the ALICE population, at 43 different sites in Fairfield and Westchester Counties. FITB is an established partner with school districts and community agencies who have direct access to these children. Every week, weekend meal bags containing: two milks, two breakfast items, two entrees, a vegetable, and four snacks are delivered to school/after-school programs and distributed to each child prior to dismissal on Friday. Fresh fruit is also delivered for each child to take home. The Weekend Meal Bags are provided once a week for 50 weeks of the year. During this COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever, that FITB continues to serve the most vulnerable children in our communities. The students enrolled in the Weekend Meal Program are the same students that received 80% of their nutrition from school-provided breakfast and lunch services. With school closures, weekend meals have become even more vital, as many parents are unable to work creating financial stress on families. We are continuing to deliver weekend bags at distribution sites to guarantee the children will continue to have the nutrition that their growing minds and bodies need, but have made some significant changes since the end of March:
There has never been a time that our kids cannot go back to school, they need us now, more than ever. Thank you for your support! To learn more about Filling in the Blanks visit our website at fillingintheblanks.org.