Tell us about you, where did you grow up, go to school and live now? Locally here in CT?
I was born in Bridgeport CT but immediately moved to Stamford CT. I grew up and resided in Stamford until 2rd grade when my family moved to New Canaan CT. Once moving to NC I began 3rd grade at West elementary school and the rest is history! I’ve lived in New Canaan ever since and am now raising my own family here.
Tell us a little about your business, What do you do? How many people do you employ? How long have you had Wheel Fine Wines and Spirits? How did it all start?
I own Wagon Wheel Wine and Spirits, which is a full-service boutique wine and liquor store in Stamford CT. I have owned Wagon Wheel since 2006 when I bought it from the previous owners. We are a small business that, although currently only employing 3 people, serves the majority of our local area.
What does food insecurity mean to you?
Food insecurity to me means that there are children not receiving the basic tools to succeed in life. We cannot expect our children to excel and grow if they are not receiving the proper fuel. 13.9% of Connecticut residents are food insecure and 6.0% are very food insecure, this is what food insecurity in our backyard looks like. This statistic should be non-existent, we should be striving to ensure each child is equipped to learn, grow, and just be a kid.
Tell us, how did you hear about Filling in the Blanks?
I first heard about FITB through founder, Tina Kramer, when I was asked some years ago to sponsor a charitable event. After briefly hearing about FITB and their mission I was in! That event was 4 years ago, Wagon Wheel has now sponsored numerous charitable events and fundraisers for FITB and their mission to end hunger.
Why did FITB's mission resonate with you? What motivated you to get involved with FITB?
As a small business owner I always try to do my part to help various charities in the local community. What appealed to me about FITB is that people all around our own area need something as simple as food. Hearing that there are kids in our own backyard who are in need of life’s basic essentials is extremely hard to hear. No one should be hungry!
What would you like to see in the future for your community/the areas that FITB serves?
As a former student at Stillmeadow Elementary School and a business owner in Stamford, the statistics of childhood hunger in our area are unsettling. I feel that the issue of children going hungry over the weekend is much more prevalent than it should be. What Filling in the Blanks is doing to combat this issue is amazing and I will