Give Back This Holiday Season: Filling in the Blanks Mobile Pantry

Images courtesy of Jen Badalamenti/ Jen Lynne Photography

The Norwalk-based nonprofit, Filling in the Blanks, has been distributing weekend meals to children in schools, camps, and at after school programs in Fairfield and Westchester counties since 2013.

Over 10 years later, and after providing over three million meal bags to food insecure children, Filling in the Blanks growing and quite literally taking their show on the road with a mobile pantry.

For co-founders of Filling in the Blanks, Shawnee Knight and Tina Kramer, having what’s essentially a grocery store on wheels, is a dream come true.

!!! If you’re 21+ you can Volunteer at the Mobile Pantry!!!

Knight (left) and Kramer in their Norwalk, Connecticut warehouse.

Photo credit: Sydney Sheehan Photo

“Shawnee and I have always wanted to have our own mobile pantry to distribute health, fresh produce and meat to families in addition to the weekend, shelf stable meal bags,” Kramer says. “It boosts that part, but we wanted to create something that’s for the entire family with fresh food.”

FITB’s mobile pantry, though, didn’t appear magically overnight. The Rhimes Foundation—created by Hollywood producer and screenwriter Shonda Rhimes—which supports arts, education, and activism, helped make all possible.

“We received a generous donation from the Rhimes Foundation that’s allowed us to provide 900 families with food every month since October 2023,” Knight says. “Since then, we’ve been able to distribute 350,000 pounds of fresh food. It’s all restaurant grade, grade A quality food.”

Knight says the feedback they’ve received from those attending the pantry events have been incredibly positive. “It’s about the dignity they receive here,” she says. “It’s not the same as others where the food may be secondhand.”

Kramer and Knight mentioned that the refrigerated truck has had an inventory that’s included chicken, pork, “sometimes” avocados, melons, peppers, pineapples, plantains, fresh herbs, bread, and so much more. 

The way it works is just like any community pantry; you show up, you get a number so you don’t have to stand in line in fear of losing your spot, you get a big FITB reusable bag, and you walk around the tables that are set up around the truck, and you’re able to choose (or not choose if you don’t want or need a certain item) from what’s available.

As of press time, there are two Filling in the Blanks mobile pantry events per month:

-          At the South Norwalk Neighborhood School at 46 Concord Street in Norwalk, held on the SECOND Saturday of the month.

-          And at Cloonan Middle School at 11 W North Street in Stamford on the THIRD Saturday of the month.

Each mobile pantry event at both locations runs from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Additionally, the mobile pantry has also helped in other areas. Kramer and Knight mentioned that they’ve partnered with other organizations at their pantry sites like Stamford Health Medical Group to register 700 families for health and dental care, with Mothers for Others to distribute 20,000 diapers and wipes that aren’t covered by SNAP benefits, with The Undies Project who donated bras and socks for distribution, and they’ve been able to hand out coats, and shampoo and beauty products.

As for the future of the mobile pantry, FITB is hopeful that more funding will eventually equal more sites.

“We’ve tossed the idea around at another stop in Bridgeport,” Knight says. “Additional funday will help launch additional sites. Impact Fairfield County just donated $100,000 for seven pantry distributions in 2024 and 2025 extending the donation of the Rhimes Foundation.”

fillingintheblanks.org