Emergency Today: Honey Nut Cheerios, $2.97, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch, $2.40.

“We got a bunch of scalloped potato items, and are stocked,”  Sarah said, “but the Regional Food Bank just told us that one of the most popular and needed foods – Breakfast Cereal– will not be available tomorrow when the truck comes. We’re down to two boxes,” she added.

Nothing Sarah and the Pantry people hate more than not having cereal for kids at the start of a school day and letting the children down.

This is an item we’ve had a lot of experience with; I hope we can help. It’s in great demand.

Above photo, Faces Of The Food Pantry: Sarah Harrington, the much-revered director of the Cambridge Food Pantry.

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Sarah’s request for today, September 1, 2026:

Cheerios Honey Nut Breakfast Cereal, $2.97.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Breakfast Cereal, $2.97.

Amazon Grocery Grape Juice, $2.40.

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Last week began as one of the worst weeks in Pantry history; it has emerged as one of the most meaningful and hopeful, thanks mostly to good people. Their food bank has warned them that supplies are being drastically reduced. Their grants have been canceled, and the government and big food donors have left. The Pantry is showing its strength to its community and the world beyond; it is resilient and determined.

We are slowly but surely re-stacking the shelves, and thank you. Local farmers and gardeners are helping. You bring hope and compassion to this Pantry, this community, and people across the country. There are not enough words to show gratitude for what the Army of Good is doing. The Pantry volunteers are amazing. The two are working wonderfully together.

Hunger relief networks like Feeding America report that community visits remain at or near historic highs. Ongoing inflation in grocery prices and elevated shelter costs have pushed many middle- and low-income families to rely on food pantries as a routine monthly necessity rather than a temporary fix.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) paused or cut hundreds of millions in funding for the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). This directly hit deliveries of essential, high-protein staples—such as eggs, meat, milk, and cheese—which pantries usually struggle to source from private donations.

 Federal initiatives like the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program and Local Food for Schools were terminated. These programs previously paid regional farmers to supply fresh produce, meat, and dairy directly to local pantries.

The USDA reports that 13.8 million to 14 million children live in food-insecure households, meaning their household lacks sufficient food for an active, healthy life for all members at some point during the year.

Please check the Amazon Pantry Wish list if you have the time; they need everything on the list.

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Kyle became a Pantry legend when a wealthy woman snuck into the food Pantry to steal a cake for a party she was going to. Kyle chased her down the road and got the cake where it belonged.

The Pantry has never been needed more.

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Finding joy in a troubled world.

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Sally, ready to march with her strawberry in the Pantry float on Memorial Day.