What the Army of Good did this week is nothing short of a miracle, one of its high water marks.

I’m struggling with words to describe what I saw today. I hope you can see it and feel it in these pictures. You did it, you and the incredible volunteers at the  Cambridge Food Pantry. They were hauling and unpacking boxes all morning. “We’re all in this together,” said Sue, one of the volunteers.

The photograph above shows the inside of a food backpack for a family of five, which was sent home this afternoon.

(Today’s requests, the two most in-demand that are gone are Peanut Butter and  Ravioli. See below)

The Amazon boxes are still pouring in. The backpack bags belonging to 66 families and 188 children were stuffed to the stretching point. Scott and Sue were tearing boxes up for arts; this after, dozens more kept coming. I had yet to learn how this week was going to turn out. I could not be happier or more grateful.

Scott, a longtime and hard-working volunteer, approached me this morning and said, “Your people are a blessing to us.” So true.

Late this afternoon, a group of 5th graders (not in the pantry program) came from the central school to distribute the bags to the families and children who needed them.

Thanks to your efforts, this children’s food week has been tremendously successful. The volunteers were shocked and happy, knowing these families and their children would eat well tonight and through the weekend. No substitutes were needed today. This is a cause of the heart, the true America revealed.

Sue Preces (a hero at the pantry), a super volunteer, the director of the back program, and a key orderer at the pantry were beaming. She has kept the pantry going in some tough times. They posed, holding up three of the goods that got her today because of you.

The backpacks contained everything one could wish for and asked for, from soup to fruit juice to noodles and Chicken Noodle Soup.

This is the last day of the children’s food campaign, and we can end with a bang:

(Sarah told me today that the pantry is entirely out of two things Chef Boyardee Beef Ravioli, 15 oz. 4 Pack, $3.79, and Skippy Super Chunk Peanut Butter, 16.3 ounce (Pack Of 12), $30.This could be a grand finale for Children’s Food Week At The Cambridge Pantry.)

It was a joy to pack those bags today.  Maria was there also.

Everyone was full of everything wanted and requested, which was unprecedented. What an honor to be there and see the joy, happiness, and smiles. And that’s before the food even gets to the families and kids. While there, the peanut butter and ravioli, two favorites for the children, ran out. See below. They will be preparing a full and rich dinner as I write this. I can’t imagine doing anything more gratifying.

Helping with this food would be an excellent way to end the week, which is already fantastic and beyond anyone’s expectations. But you’ve done more than enough this week if you can’t.

It looked like this when I got there—a glorious sight. The food we sent.

Scott, one of the backbone volunteers of the Cambridge Food Pantry.

 

The breakfast cereal the children wanted arrived in box after box.

So did Campbell’s Noodle Soup, which many families and kids will eat tonight.

This morning, the empty boxes filled up the Pantry’s pantry.

 

Cambridge Pantry Director Sue and Scott Eddy spent hours breaking down boxes and distributing the food.

Volunteer Sue is a bright spot; she works hard, continuously, competently, and cheerfully. The volunteers are a wonderful group; they’ve kept the pantry together for years, good and bad. It is never easy there; the work is never done but desperately needed.

 

This afternoon, two more truckloads of Amazon boxes, one above and one below, arrived at the pantry in two deliveries.

Below, big fat food backpacks were filled with foods for breakfast, dinner, and snacks for kids who like snacks.

Today was one of the most uplifting days of my life. I can’t thank all of you enough. I had a dream that Peanut Butter and Ravioli kicked off the end of a beautiful week.