Holiday Bags Given To Students At The Maritime Odyssey Preschool

From Filling in the Blanks: NORWALK, CT — Filling in the Blanks (FITB), a local Norwalk non-profit that provides food on the weekends to children that qualify for the free or reduced meal programs, delivered over 200 holiday bags to students at The Maritime Odyssey Preschool on Wednesday, December 18, 2019. The brand new backpacks were filled with special gifts for the holidays, including a book, a toy, pancake mix with syrup, a hat, gloves, socks, a toothbrush, and toothpaste.

Black Bridge Motors of Norwalk served as Santa’s sleigh, transporting the backpacks from FITB’s
Norwalk warehouse to Odyssey Preschool. “We are happy to be a part of FITB’s ongoing mission to end childhood hunger in Fairfield County with the Holiday Backpack Program.” Leslie Singer, Director of Marketing/Events Black Bridge Motors.

Norwalk Mayor Harry W. Rilling and Mrs. Lucia Rilling, volunteers from the community and Angelo’s Specialties Fine Foods & Catering of Norwalk distributed the holiday bags to 212 preschool children aged 14 months to 5 years old that are enrolled in STEM focused school. “I am so appreciative of the work Filling in the Blanks is doing in our community. We were able to give out more than 200 holiday backpacks at the Odyssey Preschool because of their hard work and the generosity of Black Bridge Motors,” said Mayor Rilling. “Thank you, Filling in the Blanks, for helping make the holidays bright in Norwalk.”

Children at Odyssey participate in FITB’s year round weekend meal program which provides healthy easy to prepare food items for children that struggle with food insecurity on the weekends. Donald Austin, Director of Enrollment and Recruitment at Odyssey is thankful for the support of the non-profit’s work commenting “On behalf of our families I would like to thank Filling in the Blanks for all that they have done in this past year. Our families are grateful for the support and are appreciative for the extra help they receive each week, especially in the holiday season. In January 2020 FITB will be providing 2200 weekly meals to children at 38 schools throughout lower Fairfield County including Greenwich, Norwalk and Stamford CT. “It is a beautiful cause and we love helping the children. “said Jack Mariani Owner of A & S Fine Foods & Catering & his mother Janice are longtime supporters of Filling in the Blanks.

For more information on how to volunteer or to make a donation please visit www.fillingintheblanks.org