Wonderful news from Sarah this morning: “Thanks for sending these items – Coffee and Tea are stocked for the first time in memory.”
But in a Food Pantry in Modern Day America, the director has to keep moving.
For these families, it was a choice between hygiene and eating.
This shamed the adults and the children, and often brought cruelty and isolation (and embarrassment) onto the family. People and their children noticed things like that. Food issues are painful for children and are obvious to others. It’s about dignity as well as health.
Pantry children are often ridiculed and isolated in school. What is happening to people with low incomes is outrageous.
The costs of dental care is also rising.
Sarah launched what seems to be the first Tooth Hygiene shelf in any Food Pantry. “We are out of both toothpaste and Polygrip,” she said. Those are not things that the Food Bank sends, certainly not now.
“This hygiene shelf was a great and very welcome addition to the Pantry,” said Sarah, “people thank us for it all the time. This was one less thing our customers had to worry about. So I’m putting both on the very urgent list, and thanks for helping us if you can.”
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Sarah’s requests for today, Thursday, July 9, 2026:
Poligrip Free Denture Adhesive Cream, Strong All Day Hold. $18.48.
Colgate Total Active Prevention Gel Toothpaste with Fluoride, $15.98.
Huggies Clean, Unscented Baby Diaper, 704 wipes today: $17.29.
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(Direct Federal Funding Slashing and Freezes – Early last year, the Trump administration enacted $ 1 billion in direct cuts and freezes to emergency food distribution pipelines.)
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Dan unpacking Bisquick Mix from the Army of Good. The whole Cambridge community is behind the Food Pantry: all colors, all ages, all politics. Nobody ever asks anyone here who they vote for.
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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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Lots of joy came from the Army of Good to the Food Pantry in the past week.
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Thanks for sending 3, 4, 5, and 6 diapers. They are “stacked,” at least for a week. They prolong those paychecks substantially.