“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” — Aesop.

In the decade that the Army of Good has existed, we have helped many people in many different ways, from older people to young refugee victims of genocide to persecuted farmers and other victims of life, poverty, and cruelty.

Yet, this is the first time I’ve seen a fundraising campaign elicit a response as urgent and committed as the one we’re witnessing now.

This small town food pantry was on the brink of being overwhelmed by working-class individuals’ escalating struggle to afford basic necessities.

(Your contributions are making a huge difference. You can help by browsing through the updated items on the Cambridge Food Pantry Wish List and seeing how you can help. They need everything.)

(The above photo shows today’s food delivery to the Cambridge Pantry. The boxes keep coming, and the staff can’t quite believe it.)

This suggests something more significant than a single pantry.

We are at the dawn of the Compassion Revolution, a movement I have long anticipated. It is not just a concept in my mind but a reality I witness daily at the pantry and in other places where we have worked. Our message is clear: we stand against hatred, indifference, conspiracies, and lies.

We embrace St. Terese’s “Little Way,” which states that you don’t need to be rich or a saint to do good.

To me, it’s simple: Good people who work hard should be able to feed their families, and children should never go to bed or school hungry. But getting this done is becoming difficult and touches the hearts of good people everywhere.

I’m sticking with this cause. My idea is to do my best for as long as possible. I am immensely grateful to the hundreds of people all over the country who are joining this cause. My idea has always been simple, and the Internet has made it possible: large numbers of people contributing small amounts of money to causes and people they want to help. We have no Billionaires in the Army Of Good.

I’ve never seen anything like what is happening with the good pantry, and I hope we can continue it.

It is, for real,  the ultimate in small acts of great kindness. It offers great hope and generosity of spirit, two things fading our country now. We practice being good to one another.

The pantry staff is stunned by the flow of food that people want and the boxes who arrive every day, usually twice daily.

The food is coming just in time; grocery stores and food companies donate only some of the foods people want and need. We have been filling the gap successfully and continuously. Federal and state support for food pantries is declining, even disappearing. I hope we can keep it coming.

This has the throes of a movement.

I’m not sure yet what is happening, but the response is a heartfelt and defiant call from the heart of America to be a gentler and kinder people, to be human and generous again, to help people rather than demonize and persecute them. First and foremost, we need to help our children in need.

We are all sick of the cruelty and cesspool politics emerging from Washington and elsewhere. I believe we share one thing, we are so weary of cruelty and anger.

To much of our media, all news is bad news, but every day, I see and feel the good news coming from the Army of Good. You may never read or hear about it, but it is real, powerful, and committed to good. That is what my idea of America is really about.

The haters do not speak for or to the real America; they speak only to themselves. The good people sending all this food are the true American patriots.

In a sense, this is a social and very American response; in another, it is political. We are definitely sending a message.

I beliee most of us have had enough of anger, grievance, and hatred. If our leaders can’t help working people feed their families, we will help in any way we can.

That’s what I believe is happening. Our small revolution is getting started.

(Maria helping clean up after packaging food for children. She is volunteering also.)

Every day since I began the Army Of Good’s embrace of the Cambridge Food Pantry, boxes and boxes of urgently wanted and needed food have come streaming into the pantry.

They come from all over the country, summoned by a scattered, individualistic, and good-hearted organization of people who do not know one another. They know me primarily from my blog and have always succeeded in the group’s eight years of existence.

They were unwilling ot refuse this approachable call of need and compassion.

First was the Mansion Assisted Care facility in Cambridge, a Medicaid senior citizen care center. It was the refugee children fleeing from Myan Mar’s genocide and, most recently, the Cambridge Food Pantry, fighting to feed a surging number of people who can no longer afford to feed themselves and their families.

The Army of Good has never said no. They are the real deal.

But we have never struck as deep, continuous, and enthusiastic a cord as we have with the Cambridge Pantry comparing. Some of the reasons are obvious. The amounts are smaller than the items on most of our wish lists.

I don’t want to be a watcher in this fantastic movement; I want to be a participant. I volunteer weekly to put together food packages for children, and I’m writing about it daily.

Maria joined me this morning and also wants to volunteer in the pantry. She wrote a beautiful piece about it on her blog this morning.

Stay tuned, I think we can keep this cart rolling. We are doing something special, something that will give hope to a lot of people.

Small acts of kindness; you can check the updated Cambridge Pantry Wish List every day.