This time last year, COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in the U.S. and Filling in the Blanks held our first emergency food drive. We shared a call for donations and shelf stable food, and our community acted fast to help. At the time, we never could have anticipated the devastating, long-term impact that the pandemic would have.

Hunger rates skyrocketed in 2020 and haven’t recovered yet. Filling in the Blanks is proud to be part of the solution to help feed local kids and families in need, but to keep up with the rapidly rising demand for food during the pandemic, we had to find creative solutions to quickly expand our Weekend Meal Program.

To give perspective on hunger rates in America, according to Feeding America, in the last 3 months, 73% of food pantry clients had to choose between food or paying utility bills, and 63% had to choose between food or paying for rent. These choices are unimaginably difficult to make, especially for parents. Nationally, hunger remains a serious issue, and hunger has hit home in Connecticut too. Locally in Fairfield County, one of our main delivery sites, food insecurity has increased by 67%, and the number of children living in food-insecure households has grown to one in four.

In your social circle of friends, family, and coworkers, it’s likely that you know someone impacted by food insecurity. We surveyed families who receive our Weekend Meal Bags, and 70% of them reported an increased need for food since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Many families are experiencing hunger for the very first time, and we are working hard to make sure that they have access to food as they navigate this new normal.

During the pandemic, Filling in the Blanks developed creative and innovative delivery methods to reach children in need. When school schedules were disrupted by the switch to online learning, we utilized grab n’go sites and bus routes. To reach children who couldn’t get a ride to school, we delivered to community centers, food pantries, and even delivered meals to their front door. Our Weekend Meal Program expanded to delivering three days per week, and delivered to seniors and grandparents caring for young children. Since March 2020 we added 19 new locations and two new school districts to our delivery route, and Weekend Meals were delivered for seven additional weeks.

These expansions didn’t come without their challenges. To run the Weekend Meal Program, Filling in the Blanks relies on hundreds of volunteers each year. Due to health and safety concerns, we have not been able to work with volunteers in the same way. To keep our staff, volunteers, and the warehouse safe, the number of people allowed indoors is limited. We are not able to host large public packing events to get meal bags assembled. As a result, our small volunteer leadership team and part-time staff worked overtime to run the program.

In addition to fewer helping hands, shelf-stable food costs increased over 45%. With increased need in the community, the food supply was often low. In order to increase the variety and nutritional value of the three menus delivered while also keeping costs within the budget, we have been working with a handful of vendors to get meal items donated, while allocating funds to new, healthier items.

Filling in the Blanks has also had an interruption to our regular fundraising, as in-person events had to be canceled or postponed. We have relied on donations made through our website or by mail, and have created new virtual events to engage with our community.

Looking back at these challenges, we’re so proud of what Filling in the Blanks has accomplished. Despite the obstacles, we have been able to expand our program and get meals to children and families in need the same week they sign up.

We’re looking forward to what’s in store for 2021 as the country moves towards recovery. Filling in the Blanks will continue to create food security for more children in our local community by expanding to new sites and enrolling more kids into the Weekend Meal Program, but we can’t accomplish these goals without your support.

Will you help us increase awareness of the need locally and empower others to be a part of the solution? There are a few things you can do right now. Share this post with a friend, join our newsletter for updates on volunteer opportunities and events, and consider making a donation or hosting a food drive.

GREENWICH — The Greenwich Public School district has partnered with the Greenwich United Way to help pay for meals distributed to students over the summer.

The Board of Education recently approved a $25,800 grant from the United Way to its Food Service Program to mitigate COVID-related food costs from summer 2020. The grant was secured through the work of the Greenwich Parent Teacher Advisory Council and covers about 20 percent of the district’s food costs.

“We are so grateful to our partners at PTAC who submitted this grant application on behalf of our GPS team and to the Greenwich United Way for providing funds that directly supported the students and families of our community,” Superintendent of Schools Toni Jones said in a statement.

“The pandemic has created financial, emotional and physical tolls for many of our community members, but by partnering with these incredible town agencies, we hoped to alleviate some of these pressures by committing to distribute an ample supply of healthy and nutritious foods for those that needed it,” Jones said.

Over the summer, Greenwich schools, PTAC, Filling in the Blanks, the Transportation Association of Greenwich, Cooperative Educational Services and the Greenwich United Way worked together to prepare and deliver meals to support families struggling with food insecurity during the coronavirus pandemic.

More than 1,000 meals per day were delivered to families during the week and on Fridays, shelf-stable food items were distributed to help families on weekends.

“PTA Council would like to express our gratitude to the Greenwich United Way for responding so quickly to the needs of the students of Greenwich, and the Greenwich Public School team for providing this critical support to the students and their families,” PTAC President Brian Peldunas said.

Through June 30, 2021, according to federal and state decisions, Greenwich is allowed to continue to provide free meals to all in-person students 18 years and younger in the public schools. The school district also provides free meals to remote students, delivered daily via regular bus routes.

The meals are made up of deli sandwiches, vegetable bites, whole or cut fruits, snacks and milk.

“The Greenwich United Way recognized that students who receive free and reduced lunch during the school day may not be receiving the food they need during the summer months,” said David Rabin, CEO of the Greenwich United Way. “Our grant was able to ensure that these families received food over the summer. GUW was proud to partner with a new grant recipient, PTAC, to help our most vulnerable families.”

justin.papp@scni.com; @justinjpapp1; 203-842-2586

https://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/Greenwich-United-Way-awards-grant-to-pay-for-15650692.php#photo-19731020

Greenwich United Way’s Greenwich COVID-19 Community Relief Fund issued its first round of grants totaling $113,511.

The initial grants were given to Abilis, Filling in the Blanks, Food Rescue US, Jewish Family Services and YWCA of Greenwich. The GUW Board of Directors and Grants Committee volunteers, including Greenwich selectperson Jill Oberlander, reviewed proposals from local agencies, conducted a deep dive into each organization’s financials, and assessed the recovery needs.

“Thanks to the tireless dedication of our volunteers and board and the incredible generosity of this community, we were able to quickly raise the funds to efficiently and effectively issue grants to the organizations in town helping those who need it most at this difficult time,” said David Rabin, CEO of Greenwich United Way. “I am especially grateful for the Town of Greenwich’s very forward-thinking approach to this crisis and its initial contribution of $100,000 that funded this first round of grants.”

The Greenwich COVID-19 Community Relief Fund provides disaster relief and recovery efforts for Greenwich residents experiencing economic hardship due to the COVID-19 health crisis. Grant applications are still being accepted for non-profit local agencies supporting relevant relief efforts and can be submitted to GUW’s Director of Community Impact, Robert Moore at rmoore@greenwichunitedway.org. Donations can be made to the fund here.

About Greenwich United Way

The Greenwich United Way (GUW) shares a name with approximately 1,200 other similar organizations across the nation, although the Greenwich, Connecticut division is a privately incorporated, locally governed, nonprofit agency. As a volunteer-driven organization, the Greenwich United Way exists to help identify and address the health, educational and self-sufficiency needs specific to its local community and to create and affect meaningful, lasting solutions. Through various fundraising efforts and on-going research, the organization is able to directly grant the funds necessary to accomplish this goal. The Greenwich United Way also invests in and conducts collaborative efforts to address broad-based community needs with partnering nonprofit agencies. For more information, visit https://greenwichunitedway.org, or follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

Contributed by John Breunig, and editorial page editor of the Stamford Advocate and Greenwich Time. Jbreunig@scni.com

Once upon a time, in the summer of 2020, a band of rogue moms in Stamford did as much as anyone to vanquish the widest wealth gap in America.

They didn’t steal from the rich, but these modern-day Robin Hoods did, among so many other things, “hijack” a delivery truck of food for the hungry.

Our tale begins shortly after the pandemic suddenly dammed the income stream for those who work in restaurants, clean homes and manicure nails and backcountry lawns.

Through the pixels of the looking glass, teachers noticed some students dozing off during virtual lessons, citing hunger as the cause. While everyone was ordered to maintain social distance, Szilvia Smyth learned some mothers were ringing doorbells of neighbors to ask, “Do you have any food you can spare so I can feed my kids?”

These were families on the free-and-reduced meal programs in their schools. Though Stamford officials, like counterparts in other communities, tried to pivot quickly to create pickup alternatives for meals, many were left in peril. In the middle of a pandemic, without child care and transportation, food seemed unattainable.

Several such stories reached Smyth in her role as president of Springdale Elementary School’s PTO.

She spearheaded a grassroots response, recognizing the moment called for home deliveries nonprofits did not provide. An army of other parents (and teachers) grew until it eventually topped 200, fueled by social media. The Helping Families initiative wrapped up last weekend with the delivery of 147 backpacks filled with boilerplate supplies as well as toothbrushes, hand sanitizer and applications for the municipal meal program.

Parents in vulnerable families developed a trust with Smyth, a Hungarian immigrant, and Tracie Dinc, who is fluent in Spanish. Wish lists were posted on Amazon, Target and Walmart sites. Members of the covert operation swapped intel from supermarket circulars.

The poignancy of the movement is in the elusiveness of everyday essentials: milk, diapers, shoes, salt.

Early on, a mother requested a half gallon of milk, explaining “I have this gallon and I keep watering it down to get through the week.” So milk was added to the shopping list.

Accustomed to containing costs, parents requested diapers a size or two too large to maximize their usage. “That was heartbreaking to me,” Julie Fraser says.

They resisted clothing donations out of respect for COVID protocols, limited storage space, and remaining steadfast to the objective of feeding children. Some exceptions were made. A volunteer recognized a young girl wearing winter boots during the steamy summer months because she had no alternative.

The program was already two months old when Theresa Baker asked a mother if there was anything her family needed. She made a modest request for the most elemental of seasonings.

“Do you think you could get me some salt?”

So salt-and-pepper packets were added to deliveries.

“That just killed me,” Baker says.

At the homes of organizers, living rooms, mud rooms and dining rooms were transformed into stockrooms. The breadth of the need was represented by both the volume of the stockpile, and how quickly it vanished as volunteers collected and delivered goods.

Smyth returned to her job over the summer and handed the baton to Fraser and Dinc. Fraser drafted her parents to collect deliveries while they stayed with her over nine weeks. At a time when most people weren’t getting visitors, drop-offs reliably arrived, and she is now on a first-name basis with Mickey from UPS. In some cases, mothers asked to pick up supplies so their desperation would not be revealed to peers.

The stealth mission got flashes of corporate support. High Ridge Brands kicked in boxes of soap and kid-friendly toothbrushes featuring the likes of the “Star Wars” cast. A resident who runs a vending machine company had stock that was expiring with no office machines to fill, so they received boxes of granola bars and chips.

They organized assembly lines and spreadsheets (“I do love me a good spreadsheet,” Fraser cracks) and learned the value of luring donations by defining goals (“It paints a picture,” Dinc notes). Before the enterprise risked spinning out of control, families started voluntarily “graduating” from the program as work returned for the likes of restaurant and hourly workers.

While talking to Fraser, Dinc and Baker via computer Friday, I point out that at least by my unofficial tally of names on their comment boards, virtually all of those 200-plus volunteers seemed to be female. They quickly cite the good deeds of New Canaan firefighter Michael Jackson … and a few husbands and a father who sometimes rode along. I hold the fingers of one hand to the screen: “That’s five.”

They laugh heartily, insisting they couldn’t have pulled this off if husbands weren’t keeping an eye on the kids.

It seems about right, Moms find solutions — even for other moms.

Case in point, the day a New York City restaurant supply delivery truck was running several hours late with milk and eggs (48 dozen). Fraser insisted the company reveal the driver’s next stop. When he arrived at the ACME loading dock nearby, “we stood there tapping our feet,” and hijacked their supplies, she recalls.

The merry band disbanded with the start of school, guiding interested donors to the website www.fillingintheblanks, which two moms started seven years ago to help children in low-income households in Fairfield and Westchester counties.

Fraser says they realize the band may need to reunite if schools are forced to close again in coming weeks, “but we haven’t really talked about that yet.”

Like any good fairy tale, this one has grim undertones, a happy ending and — hopefully — no need for a sequel. It also leaves behind a map others could follow.

NORWALK, CT — At the beginning of the year, Tina Kramer and Shawnee Knight were servicing about 2,000 kids through Filling in the Blanks, a Norwalk-based organization that fights childhood hunger by providing kids in need with meals on weekends, when they are not in school.

According to Kramer and Knight, who co-founded the organization, they have added over 1,000 kids to that number since March due to the coronavirus’ effect on Connecticut, and the country.

“We’re at [about] 3,200 kids that we’re delivering to weekly,” Kramer said to Patch.

The co-founders noted 900 of those kids are in Norwalk alone, where the organization’s service has “grown significantly” this year. They also serve kids in Greenwich, Stamford and New Canaan.

Established in 2013, Filling in the Blanks delivers over 170,000 weekend meals to children in low-income households, according to their website. The organization services kids who typically receive free lunch at school and, as result, are in need of food over the weekend. (Don’t miss local and statewide news from all across Connecticut. Sign up for free Patch alerts and daily newsletters.)

The families serviced by Filling in the Blanks are not alone in their food insecurity. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimates that in 2020, more than 54 million Americans will not have enough nutritious food to eat due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

That number represents 17 million more Americans struggling with food insecurity than before the pandemic, and about twice the population of New York City.

According to the co-founders, the virus, also referred to as COVID-19, has affected Filling in the Blanks in a number of ways.

“Food costs have risen since the onset of COVID-19, and supply is low,” Knight said to Patch. “That’s been a major hit to our budget because of price increases, and all our fundraising efforts have been canceled.”

They also have had to limit the amount of volunteers allowed in their warehouse in order to properly social distance.

“That’s kind of impacted us,” Knight said, “but we have still managed to pack [lunches] with our skeleton crew of staff and some volunteers.”

When schools closed across the state in March, it left the organization “scrambling” to make sure they were still able to provide food for the kids they were helping, Knight said. Though things have been running smoother as of late, Knight acknowledged it is likely less a case of things getting easier and more the fact that they have gotten used to operating in this manner.

“No one knows what tomorrow if going to bring, so we’re all standing by ready,” Kramer said. “It’s like a new wave of different now.”

Way to support

Despite the headaches this year has brought, Kramer and Knight are more determined than ever to ensure the kids they service receive what they need. In fact, they are even scheduled to deliver the organization’s millionth meal this month.

“It’s happening earlier than expected,” Kramer said. “We were supposed to deliver it probably in January [2021], but since we’ve added so many additional kids it has revved up.” While the co-founders are proud to reach such a notable milestone, Kramer noted it is bittersweet.

“It’s a huge accomplishment,” Kramer said, “but it’s also sad, in a way, that there’s such a need and that need is growing right now.” Knight agreed the accomplishment comes with an undertone of sadness.

“We wish we wouldn’t be needed,” Knight said. “That would be a good day.” Filling in the Blanks has already hosted some virtual events this year, including a 5K and a virtual cooking class, but Knight acknowledged the public appears to be getting “a little burnt out” on virtual events at the moment. Still they are looking at a few possible event ideas for later this year that will allow for proper social distancing.

Additionally, Kramer said they are going to allow people to form small groups of “10 to 20 people” that are comfortable with each other to come to the organization’s warehouse and pack meals together.

“We’re taking precautions in the warehouse with sanitizing, masks and gloves and social distancing, and we rotate the tables that people pack on,” Kramer said. “We’re getting 3,200 bags out a week, so we do need the help. We can no longer have big packing events, so volunteers are very much needed.”

Anyone interested in signing up a group or simply volunteering to pack food can do so through the “volunteer” tab on the Filling in the Blanks website, Kramer said. Donors can also join the organization’s virtual food drive by donating through the website.

They will also be holding a drive-thru food drive on Sept. 22, during which only mac and cheese, canned tuna and shelf stable milk (juice box size) will be accepted. Held in partnership with ConnectCommunity Church, the event will take place at the Filling in the Blanks warehouse parking lot on Main Avenue from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

“Everyone we’ve been working with [in the community] has been really amazing,” Kramer said. “It’s been a lot of people coming together to make sure that the kids in our community don’t go hungry.”

Pizzeria Partnership

Anyone looking for a unique way to donate to Filling in the Blanks this month can also help out by simply buying a pizza.

Throughout the month of September, Letizia’s Pizza in Norwalk is selling its popular taco pizza specialty pie for $14. According to the pizzeria’s co-owner, Danny Segers, 100 percent of all funds raised through sales of the 12-inch taco pies will be donated to Filling in the Blanks.

“The taco pizza is one of the few specialty pies that we’ve done but never actually [sold] for an extended period of time,” Segers said. “The last time we did it…a lot of customers were almost annoyed that it was such a short amount of time that we had it. People love it.”

Segers is one of three owners at Letizia’s, along with Dave Cook and founder Dennis Letizia. With customers demanding a longer time period to enjoy the taco pie, the owners decided to give the people what they want while benefiting a good cause at the same time.

“You’re helping local kids and families who have gotten us through hard times,” Segers said. “People always come through for us, so we like to help the community that is always helping us.”

Letizia’s has raised money for Filling in the Blanks in the past, which Segers said he came across about two years ago while researching local charities. “We really wanted [to donate to] a local charity, as opposed to a national one,” Segers said. “We wanted something that was really going to help the kids and parents who come into our restaurant.”

Kramer and Knight said Letizia’s has been “a great community partner” for their organization.

“They’ve really expanded knowledge about Filling in the Blanks through their huge social media [presence],” Kramer said. “All their social media and their generosity toward us…they’ve pulled in a new group of people for us, which is fantastic, and raised awareness locally.”

Anyone looking to try the taco pizza and help out Filling in the Blanks can pick one up all month at the pizzeria, located at 666 Main Avenue.

Full article

The Greenwich United Way’s Greenwich COVID-19 Community Relief Fund issued new grants to Children’s Day School and Liberation Programs and second grants to Filling in the Blanks, Jewish Family Services and YWCA. The fund has now provided nearly $500,000 of aid across 20 organizations helping Greenwich residents in need.

“The early childhood industry has faced unprecedented financial strain as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and CDS is no exception,” said Carly Adames, Executive Director of Children’s Day School. “Our goal is to provide the safest possible environment for young children. Clean air quality and ventilation is essential as children in our early learning program are too young to wear masks and are within close proximity of each other. With this grant we can enhance our health and safety protocols by providing KN95 masks for our educators and air purification for classrooms at our Riverside and Glenville campuses. We are grateful for the United Way’s support during these extraordinary times.”

Earlier grants were issued to Abilis, Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich, Building One Community, Caritas of Port Chester, Community Centers, Inc. of Greenwich (CCI), Family Centers, Filling in the Blanks, Food Rescue US, the Friends of Nathaniel Witherell, the Jewish Family Services, Kids In Crisis, Meals On Wheels, Neighbor to Neighbor, Pathways, PTAC, River House, Transportation Association of Greenwich (TAG), and YWCA of Greenwich.

“When we started this fund, none of us could have imagined that six months later we would still be in the thick of the pandemic, with no more certainty and stability than we had at the onset,” said David Rabin, CEO of Greenwich United Way. “At challenging times like this when everyone is impacted at some level, we are the sole organization that has the capabilities to help the most residents of Greenwich. We remain steadfast in our dedication to our neighbors and will continue to do all we can to help those in town who need it most.”

The Greenwich COVID-19 Community Relief Fund provides disaster relief and recovery efforts for Greenwich residents experiencing economic hardship due to the COVID-19 health crisis. The GUW Board of Directors and Grants Committee volunteers continue to review proposals from local agencies, conducting a deep dive into each organization’s financials, and assessing the specific recovery-related needs.

Grant applications are still being accepted for non-profit local agencies supporting relevant relief efforts and can be submitted to GUW’s Director of Community Impact, Robert Moore at rmoore@greenwichunitedway.org. Donations can be made to the fund here.

Full article

https://greenwichfreepress.com/around-town/giving/greenwich-covid-19-community-relief-fund-issues-grants-to-childrens-day-school-filling-in-the-blanks-jewish-family-services-liberation-programs-ywca-144778/

NORWALK, Conn. (CBSNewYork) — A nonprofit feeding hungry kids in one of the richest counties in America is facing many challenges linked to the coronavirus pandemic.

Demand is high, supplies are tight, and donations are down, but the determination to serve those in need is stronger than ever, CBS2’s Tony Aiello reported Tuesday.

“It has been overwhelmingly helpful and a relief to parents that they know they can feed their kids on the weekends when they don’t have the food,” said Shawnee Knight, co-founder of Filling in the Blanks.

The assembly line is busier than ever at the Norwalk-based organization, which provides meals for kids facing food insecurity.

“We rotate around, so some of them will have a pound of pasta and sauce,” Knight said.

Knight and Tina Kramer started the charity seven years ago, growing from rental space in a vacant house to a 5,000 square-foot warehouse.

“Nope. We never thought we would be running the equivalent of Costco, and knowing supply chain and distribution, absolutely not,” Kramer said.

And they never imagined a pandemic would increase demand by 50% overnight.

“There’s many people that are finding themselves in unexpected situations right now and there’s no shame in getting a little help,” Knight added.

Filling in the Blanks anticipated delivering its 1 millionth meal some time in 2021. But due to the demand driven by the pandemic, that landmark has been pushed up to the week of Sept. 14.

“People are having to chose whether to leave the lights on or put food on the table,” Kramer said.

Back at the warehouse, “Our funding is from events which we have had to cancel,” Knight said.

The cost of food is up and donations are lagging demand, but every week they manage to fill bags with food, and deliver them with love.

While fundraising is a struggle, the co-founders said a bright spot has been a steady stream of people looking to volunteer their time. You can find out more about Filling in the Blanks by clicking here.

For the full article, click here or visit

https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2020/09/01/filling-in-the-blanks-nonprofit-food-pantry-norwalk-connecticut/