2022 Fill-A-Truck Toy Campaign

The DSS Office of Child Support Services (OCSS), in collaboration with the Connecticut Fatherhood Initiative, launched its 7th Annual “Fill-A-Truck” Toy Campaign on Monday, October 24, 2022. OCSS staff in twelve offices statewide coordinated the collection of unwrapped toys, books, clothing, and other gifts for families in need, to help brighten the holiday season for children.  The campaign concluded on Monday, December 12, 2022, and proved once again to be a huge success!

All items collected were distributed to eight DSS-Certified Fatherhood Programs at various locations across the state: Career Resources and GBAPP (Bridgeport), Family Strides (Torrington), Catholic Charities and Community Renewal Team (Hartford), Urban Community Alliance (New Haven), Madonna Place (Norwich), and New Opportunities (Waterbury), providing fathers and/or mothers participating in programming the opportunity to give their child(ren) a gift(s) this holiday season.

Donations were also made to other community-based agencies serving children and families across the state. They are as follows: The Village for Families & Children (Hartford), whose mission is to build a community of strong healthy families who protect and nurture children; Family and Children’s Aid, a child-focused 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization offering high quality, innovative mental health care for children and their families; Family Development Center (Manchester), who provides home visiting programs that assist parents in developing essential parenting skills while providing parent education, child development information, developmental screenings, playgroups, and learning activities; Community Child Guidance Clinic (Manchester), whose mission is to assist and support children with emotional and behavioral issues by providing a special education day school and a system of child and family focused mental health services; and North American Family Institute – Child Youth & Family Support Center, a multi-service agency that provides programming, consultation, and individualized support services to youth, families, and adults in a variety of settings across Connecticut. 

Thank you to the following OCSS staff who coordinated the effort in each of the DSS offices:

• Bridgeport Field Office: Sandra Jimenez, Emilia Eneh
• Central Office: Maria Lopez, Nicole DiLernia
• Danbury Field Office: Dawn Laughlin, Mary Faith Donnelly
• Greater Hartford Field Office: Benjamin Dakers, Tricia Thornton, Karen O’Neill
• Manchester Field Office: Dawn Lewis, Jennifer Stoddard
• Middletown Field Office:  Athena White, Katherine Wojdyla-Carpenter, Anitra Harris
• New Britain Field Office: Sara Kleemola
• New Haven Field Office: Jayme P. Watson, MaryBeth Dillon
• Norwich Field Office: Joanne Femc, Jennifer Kenney
• Stamford Field Office: Denise Hall
• Torrington Field Office: Vanessa Gaski, Stephanie Martin
• Waterbury Field Office: Karl Stursberg, Floyd Wright
• Willimantic Field Office: Justin Trzaskos, Tylee Ham

And a very special thanks to ALL of the amazing DSS staff statewide for their kindness and generosity in helping to make this holiday season special for those in need in our communities!