Today, we have an essential order request from Sarah and the Cambridge Food Pantry: a Can Of Happy Belly  Black Beans, 15 Ounces (Pack of One), for $1.00.

Beans are the least expensive food the pantry has requested and one of the healthiest for babies and small children. The beans are timely—the children’s backpack program ends in two weeks for the summer. (Photo above. Pantry Director Sarah beaming as the boxes of cereal arrive.

(First, thanks for the waves of cereal you sent in response to our plea on Friday. They arrived yesterday, and hundreds are just in time to go out Thursday with the children’s food backpack program. They are still coming.)

Beans serve many complex carbohydrates, one of the best fuel sources for a baby or toddler’s brain. They’re also packed with protein to support rapid growth. Beans — especially chickpeas and black beans — are also good vegetarian sources of iron. The pantry always tries to stock the best foods, especially for children. But it doesn’t get to choose many foods they consider the healthiest. Beans are one of those.

From The Mayo Clinic:   “Black Beans are very healthy for children.   They are a good source of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Black beans are also gluten-free.”

(Photo: Thanks, Army Of Good.)

Thanks to your generous donations, the shelves for the next food distribution are now filled with the three different kinds of cereals we requested last week. This means that the children of our food pantry will have a nutritious breakfast for this weekend and the coming weeks. Your support has not only filled their stomachs but also brought smiles to their faces. There will even be some left over for next week’s snack pack, one of the last before school gets out for the summer. Your contributions are truly making a significant difference in their lives.

Sarah, our dedicated Pantry Director and a dog lover,  loves to say hi to Zinnia when we come by the pantry. She’s been instrumental in ensuring that our children receive the best nutrition possible. Your support is greatly appreciated by her and all of us at the Cambridge Food Pantry.

You can buy beans, lemonade bottles, and any food from the Amazon Cambridge Food Pantry Wish List, which is updated daily.

These are the foods and products that are not available to the pantry from other sources. We are successfully narrowing that gap. Small acts of great kindness.