(Note: We are completely out of breakfast cereal. We have posted nine items below in the hope of getting help.)
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The good news – at the Cambridge Pantry, there is always good news with the bad- is that the Army of Good came roaring to the rescue when the Soccer visitors bought up almost all of the Ranch Dressing in America.
“Thank you to the Army of Good,” said Sarah, “for donating this and other salad dressings. It has been hard to get them lately. Gardeners and farms have been generous with donating lettuce; now we have dressing to go with it! This matters.”
But Pantries are always spinning their wheels, never quitting.
(Above, they never quit or give up at the Food Pantry.)
Nothing can be taken for granted, as the number of people seeking and needing help continues to grow while government support shrinks.
Below is a picture of the cereal shelf. There is not one box of cereal on it; the demand was so great that the cereal was gone in one circumstance.
Last week, the Regional Food Bank, the primary source of Pantry food, sent no cereal boxes. Yesterday, they said they wouldn’t be able to send any next week either.
Sarah asked for help.
We are setting up 9 Cereal items on the Wish List in the hope we can get those shelves stacked again. There is not a single one left after more and more people come in for their food.
All of the above are needed and will be used promptly.
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The Cereal Wish List Today, Wednesday, July 1, 2026:
Rich Chex Gluten Free Breakfast Cereal, $3.98.
Quaker Life Breakfast Cereal (4 Pack), $17.52.
Chocolate Cheerios, whole grain oats ($2.73).
Amazon Grocery, Big Berry Crunch, $2.60.
Post Honeycomb Breakfast, Honey Flavor, $2.97.
General Mills, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cereal, $2.37.
Cinnia Toast Crunch Breakfast Cereal, $2.97.
Lucky Charms Gluten Free Whole Grain Cereal with marshmallows, $2.97.
And for good measure,
And for good measure, Ranch Dressing, $2.32.
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For the first time in my memory, the shelves for the breakfast cereals are empty.
Here is what happened to the Ranch dressings:
International visitors (especially from Europe and South America, where buttermilk-based Ranch isn’t really a thing) have gone viral on TikTok and Instagram, calling the condiment “addictive” and putting it on absolutely everything. Visiting fans are buying out grocery store shelves to try it at tailgates, and they are buying full-size bottles in bulk to take back to their home countries as souvenirs. That’s why there are none on shelves.
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The Pantry needs more help than ever. We can help the Pantry at any time, especially these days, by browsing the Amazon Cambridge Pantry 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 regularly buy particular items they see on the wish list. Your help makes an enormous difference; you are very much appreciated. We give what no one else can. We try to do what is asked for by those who need it.
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Send some joy; the Pantridge needs cereal.
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You can tell when the Army of Good has come. The curving arrow is the sign.