Message: “Thank you for all you do and for restoring our faith in human kindness.” From Yvonne Fish-Kalland, Army of Good.
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I’m happy to welcome Lance Barber, a soldier (Afghanistan), police officer (different places), musician, poet, recovered alcoholic, and veteran activist.
He is the kind of American hero the country badly needs, and the Food Pantry is very happy to find. I’ll make sure you see a lot more of him. He has wonderful stories to tell, one of my favorites is his march across Afghanistan, a combat soldier with a big guitar. He brought it home.
He’s now a much-needed and welcome Pantry volunteer, musician, and poet. Lance wants to protect people; that’s why he contacted the pantry and offered his help.
He sings and reads poems all over the area and is starting on a new chapter: He wants to help veterans and others looking for support and guidance, and buy a small farm in the Cambridge area for people – veterans and recovering alcoholics who are troubled or confused in life and want some help and people to talk to.
Lance is 35 and single. The whole country is looking for people like Lance to fight for good. He’s devoting himself to that struggle.
It’s a beautiful idea. He launched a website this morning; the link is lancefromupstate.com.
He wants to call his farm Guts and Glory Ranch.
He’s been through a lot of chapters in life. He’s planning some more.
“More than anything,” he said, “I want to help groups like the pantry and people who need more help than they are getting.
I don’t have time today to write more about him, but when he returns from a music tour (two weeks), I’ll write more. I was deeply impressed by Lance and his passion for doing something meaningful.
He’s the real deal times a dozen.
He’s lived a dozen different lives and is bursting with plans for the future, especially those he can protect (the reason he wanted to be a cop but rarely got the chance. I plan to try to help him get his farm if he wishes. He is a portable, busting good deed.
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Finding your joy: below are the Pantry’s calls for help today, April 14, 2026.
For The Children: Kids’ Shampoo, Size 6 Diapers, Hand Soap For Parents.
Suave Kids 3-In-In One Tear Free, Body Wash and Shampoo Pack of 6, $23.43.
Dove Beauty Bar Soap, 8 Bars For Sensitive Skin, $12.97.
Amazon Basics, Fresh Liquid Hand Soap (Pack of 6,), $6.00.
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Thanks for the maxi pads, thanks for the help. The shelves are full.
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Find Your Joy: Sarah’s Support Request for Monday, April 13th, 2026: Support for the elderly, and for families. We are keeping kindness alive:
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Unloading the truck from the regional food bank.
You can help the Cambridge Food Pantry at any time by browsing the Amazon Food Wish List, which is continuously updated. Everything on the list is urgently needed. You can access the Food List anytime by clicking any link here or by the green button at the bottom of every blog post.
Some people adopt particular items they see by regularly buying them. Your help makes an enormous difference; you are very much appreciated.
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In the Army of Good, we find our joy in helping others.