St. Aloysius Parish

Filling in the Blanks provides weekend meals to children in need who are eligible for the free or reduced lunch program. Right after Thanksgiving, the children who receive these meals are also given a Holiday backpack. We have adopted the Springdale School this year and need to provide filled 30 backpacks.

Each person who signs up is asked to provide a new backpack (regular size - at least 16") and will be assigned a boy or girl who is in K-5th grade, for which we ask that you provide an age appropriate toy (no toy guns, water guns, slime guns, weapons of any kind) that will fit in the backpack a pair of socks, a pair of gloves/mittens and a hat. Everything must be new. In order to evangelize and help others see the importance of providing for our sisters and brothers in need, we suggest that you supply the one of the items or the backpack and reach out to family/friends/neighbors for the other items that need to be supplied.

The backpacks will also contain the following, which I am asking other ministries to contribute:
- Regular size box of complete pancake mix (add water only): please no jumbo/Costco sizes
- Plastic bottle of pancake syrup; please no jumbo/Costco sizes
- New, age-appropriate book.

You will need your backpack, toy, mittens/hat and socks by November 4th, as we will come together on Tuesday, November 5 (many have school off due to Election Day). On that morning, we will gather in Stapleton Hall to assemble the backpacks, make back pack tags, write a letter to the child who will receive the backpack and pray for them! You may claim 1.5 hours of corporal work of mercy.