More people are experiencing hunger now than at the peak of the Covid pandemic. Recent headlines like this are discouraging, but this community continues to come through in big ways.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to our June appeal—your support is already making an impact. And it’s never too late to give, especially now.
Weekend meal bag enrollment has grown 260% over the past five years as families feel the squeeze of higher food costs, higher everything costs, and shrinking support from government programs.
We keep close tabs on the needs of our community, adjusting programs accordingly and raising critical awareness to ensure kids’ and families’ nutritional needs are met.
We recently brought direct insight to lawmakers in Hartford, sharing important learnings from over a decade of providing direct hunger solutions. Keep reading for key takeaways to support a stronger, healthier community.
Food insecurity continues to rise in our community
Over the past five years, enrollment in our Weekend Meal Bag program has grown by 260% as more families face impossible choices between food, housing, utilities, and childcare. Many of the families turning to us today are seeking support for the very first time. Inflation and the cost of living continue to rise. Food insecurity is affecting an increasing number of working families across our region, who are living paycheck to paycheck. Many are one unexpected expense away from a crisis.
Recently, Filling in the Blanks joined lawmakers at the Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford to share what we are witnessing firsthand after more than a decade of providing direct hunger relief. The message was clear: the need is growing rapidly, and community-based organizations are increasingly filling critical gaps left by reductions and complications in federal food assistance programs.
When SNAP benefits tighten or eligibility requirements become more difficult to navigate, families turn to local organizations immediately. This past November, we saw record-breaking demand, including 169 families registering for weekend meal support in a single day and more than 100 new families visiting our Norwalk Fresh Food on the Move Mobile Pantry in just one month. These trends underscore how fragile financial stability has become for many households.
The realities of food insecurity are often overlooked in Fairfield County; significant wealth can mask deep disparities between neighboring communities. While some towns experience relatively low rates of need, cities like Bridgeport continue to face hunger rates approaching 30%, with many neighborhoods classified as food deserts. In Bridgeport alone, 67% of residents are considered ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) families, meaning they are working but still struggling to afford basic necessities.
Rapidly expanded services is a team effort
To respond to growing demand, Filling in the Blanks has expanded significantly in recent years. Since launching the Fresh Food on the Move Mobile Pantry program in 2023, the initiative now serves approximately 1,600 families with access to nutritious food and wraparound support services. Our school partnerships have also expanded across Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk, and Stamford, growing from serving 50 children at one Stamford school to reaching more than 10,000 children each week.
This growth has reminded us how important our community partners are. We see how food insecurity is never an isolated problem. When families struggle to afford food, they are making sacrifices that go beyond the dinner table. Creating lasting change takes collective effort. That is why, through partnerships with more than 85 local organizations, our mobile pantry sites now offer wraparound services such as wellness screenings, workforce development support, immigration resources, and financial literacy education. Some events have connected more than 500 families with critical community resources in a single day.
Your support makes a difference
As summer approaches—a season when children lose access to school-based meals and support for hunger organizations often declines—Filling in the Blanks remains focused on meeting the growing needs of our community while continuing to raise awareness around the realities families are facing every day. To be that reliable source of nutrition, we rely on you.