Search Results for: red

 

Sarah Harrington asks us for help every day. She seeks the least expensive items, often purchasing one item at a time. We are learning to focus on certain items that are the most sought-after and loved by the needy, people who love to send good out into the world.

The growing number of people needing food help left some of her shelves bare.

But day after day, we filled them up, thanks to your support. It was a battle against time, among other things.

Your contributions have made a significant impact on Sarah’s cause, and I was stunned when I went to the pantry this afternoon and saw the tangible evidence of your help—there were no empty shelves.

I wrote all week about empty shelves. You might enjoy seeing them packed up and some even stockpiled.

The Army of Good sent her everything she asked for, something I wonder if anyone expected or thought possible.

I was there today taking photos of the shelves you filled or helped to fill.  I told Sarah I needed to take them so the people sending this help could see what they had done. All I can think of is “wow” and “thanks.” Your efforts are truly appreciated, and we cannot thank you enough for your invaluable support. She asked me to thank you also.

 

Contrary to what we see every day, there is a lot of good out there, and for me, the food pantry glowed as an almost sacred home for it. I feel it when I walk in there and see Sarah and her volunteers hauling boxes, cutting them open, stacking them on shelves, and putting them outside in a bin for recycling.

(Let’s Leep It Going With a special day today, the Campbridbe Pantry’s Food Health Day For Children).  We’ll do that and Women’s Day as often as possible. Four things to buy to keep the Pantry children clean and healthy. Help if you can:

1. Suave Moisturizing Body Wash, with Wild Cherry  Blossom and Vitamin E Extract, No Parabens, Not Phathaltes, 18 Oz Pack of 6, $17.82.

2.  Suave Kids 3-in-1 Shampoo Conditioner, Body Wash, Paragon Free and Dermatologist Tested Kids’s Shampoo, 3 in 1 Formula, 28 Fl. Oz, Pack of 4,  $21.20.

3. Colgate Fresh Whitening Toothpaste with Mini Strips, Clean Mint Toothpaste for Bad Breath, Helps Fight Cavities, Whitens Teeth, 6.3 Oz, Pack of 4, $10.65.

4. Alberto Vo5, Blooming Freesia Moisturizing and Hydrating Shampoo with Coconut Milk, Vitamin E, and Biotin—Long-Lasting Fragrance—15 Oz, $2.38.

These are all items Sarah says the pantry is entirely out of and needs help to get. They are all inexpensive and sold on the Pantry Amazon Wish List.

You did a lot of good for hundreds of adults and children for whom food—which they often can’t afford to buy—has lost its magic. Your support brought back that magic, and on behalf of the people looking for food, thank you, thank you. A lot of the food you sent is too expensive for the food banks and pantries to buy or for the food-deprived to be able to bring home.

You brought joy, meaning, hope, and dignity to people who were on their knees. We can only provide some of the food the pantry needs, but we can help them get the food and items their customers want and need that the pantry and suppliers can’t.

This is turning into one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. I am forever grateful to those who want to share it with me.

 

I have mashed potatoes and mix.

 

Lemonade is needed and popular all summer.

Ramen Shrimp and Chicken Flavor.

Boxes and boxes of women’s pads and tampons.

Salad dressings are something the Pantry customers love but which the pantry can hardly ever open in stock; it was so popular.

Popcorn, a snack, and something valuable when the TV is on.

 

Soup for dinner is never left after the doors are open.

 

 

As I woke up this morning, I was ignited by the urgency and significance of our work with the Cambridge Food Pantry. It is a pivotal moment in the illustrious history of the Army Of Good and a timely time in this country.

This is not just an opportunity; it’s a call to action. The Food Pantry has presented us with a substantial and meaningful opportunity that we must seize as individuals deeply connected to this cause.

Our efforts are not just about supporting a local food pantry but about making a profound difference in the lives of hundreds of needy people. By uniting under the banner of the Army Of Good, we send a powerful message of compassion and empathy that resonates far beyond our community, reminding us of the strength and impact of our collective action. In America, we help one another. In America, everyone ought to be able to eat.

(In the photo above, Sarah and Zinnia are now close friends.) I am eager to send Sarah chunky soups of two kinds.

Yesterday, Sarah Harrington put the food pantry’s original slogan on the wall she redesigned. It stuck in my mind:

“Our mission is to improve the lives of those in need by offering healthy food in an environment that honors the whole person.” We are committed to this guiding principle: upholding our work with the Cambridge Food Pantry as the Army Of Good. The times are pleading for it. I call it the compassion revolution.

Doing good is more important than ever. Honoring the whole person is what our country needs to hear and remember. It is what America is truly about.

I texted Sarah, the Pantry Director, this morning. My message said, “Give me something needed to push for today. I’m up for it and would love to send a message about its importance.”

As always, Sarah texted me back in seconds. She did not waste time or words; she is always right there. She didn’t have to think; she wrote, “Chunk soups, chowder, and pot pie flavors.”

I remember how I first worked with the refugee kids and Sue Silverstein. We clicked right away and did well together. We’re still at it. Thanks to a generous donor, the Army of Goods is paying for refugee tuition again this year.

That is Sarah; she got right into the spirit of it, no questions asked; there is no bullshit or diddling (I hate both) in her.

So I’m going for it. These soups are among the pantry’s most essential meal foods. They are nourishing and healthy and can fill a stomach, young or old. They are easy for harried mothers and fathers to serve. They are also inexpensive compared to what wealthy people eat every day.

I’m trying to make a point and show the world what people with great hearts can and want to do. This goes well beyond a single small-town food pantry.  I love the sound of chunky soups and two flavors: clam chowder and pot pie.

First: Campbell’s Chunky Soup, New England Clam Chowder, 16.3 Oz Can (case of 8). $15.68.

Second: Campbell’s Chunky Soup, Pub-Style Chicken Pot Pie Soup, 16.3 Oz Can (Case of 8), $15.68.

 

 

In this painful and divisive year, I feel called to do some real good, to get the pantry, which Sarah says she needs: lots of chunky soup. Seeing the volunteers at the food pantry work so hard and without compensation or complaint is inspiring. They are always there.

The Cambridge Amazon Wish List is updated daily. Currently, there are 11 items on the list, some as low as $2.98. You can browse the whole ist here 

But it is heartbreaking to see the families come in with their children embarrassed and grateful for their sudden inability to buy the food they always used to purchase. The things we are getting for them give them dignity, remembrance of better times, and hope for the future. Sometimes, they appear defeated. Our message is that they are remembered.

 

 

The soup will be gone soon enough, but still remembered. Doing good feels good, as so many of you have already learned.