I went to the Cambridge Pantry this morning for two reasons. One was to help the volunteers (I am one now, I guess) pack the backpacks that go to the children of the people who come to the pantry seeking food for their families.

The other was to show the good people of the Army Of Good what they have done and how they have provided these children with healthy, nutritious, and much-wanted and missed food.

And maybe we can get them some creamy peanut butter for next week.

I call it “The Army Of Good Wall.” You can see the number of Amazon boxes for yourself. You sent just about everything on the wall. Here, the food for the backpack children is stored, and it goes right out when the families come for food. Scott brings it back and forth to the stackers when it runs out. He knows where every single thing is.

___

I took these photos so you can see what you are buying and what an enormous impact it has made. You have the right to see what you have done and are still doing. It is extraordinary.

While at the pantry, I learned that the children have a particular fondness for creamy peanut butter. They love it on their toast and sandwiches and miss it a lot. The pantry is currently out of stock, and Sarah asked if we could help replenish this beloved item.

She talks to her “customers” all the time.

Sarah is asking for another item from their Amazon Wish List, Peter Pan Creamy Peanut Butter, Made with Roasted Peanuts, great for Peanut Butter Sandwiches and Snacks, Gluten Free Peanut Butter, 16.3 Oz Jar (Pack of 12), $31.68.

This is the most expensive food the pantry has asked for and is also one of the most popular and missed. The pantry has no funds to buy it, and nobody will give it to them. We can help; I’d love to stuff some peanut butter in those bags next week or onto the pantry shelves.

 

The above protein drinks were for every child in the family. Every child who needed one got one.

Above are the contents of a backpack for two children. Notice the Campbell’s noodle soup, the oatmeal pack, Mac n Cheese, the fruit juice, and just about everything else in this one backpack; I’ve yet to see a bag that is as full and healthy for the children as this week’s was. Thank you for that. We ran out of nothing. Thank you. I want you to know what you are doing. I’m proud of it.

Last week, I reported that the pantry was out of salad dressing; this week, it is on the shelves and almost gone. Thank you. We can only meet some of their needs, but we can help with what they want and miss the most.

The process begins with volunteers collecting food from the bins.

Volunteers – they are cheerful, dedicated, and hard-working. It is hard work, as I am learning and seeing.

Every time I see Sarah, the pantry’s Executive Director, cheerfully hauls a box, opens a box, orders a box, stacks a shelf, breaks down the bog, and puts it in a truck to be hauled to the recycling dump. We are buying her two sizeable outdoor storage bins for donations.  They are animal-safe. I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone who works as hard as she does and with less complaint.

This was the table where we stacked the packs. At lunchtime, Sarah loads them into her van and takes them to the school. The kids come out to bring them inside, and the families discreetly pick the bags up so their children are never embarrassed. I just realized she does all of the hauling.

The food we give them makes an enormous difference; it provides the food they need and misses terribly, taking them through the weekend and into the following week. I won’t take their pictures; they need privacy,  but I know they and their families are grateful.

The youngest volunteers.