The food pantry had another busy day yesterday; almost all of its soup is gone.  With cold weather coming—below freezing next week—the pantry wants to stock soup again on the shelves, but they especially wish to have Chicken Noodle Soup to stuff in the 160 children’s food backpacks that go out to the local school next Thursday.

The pantry food shelves (above) are empty, cleaned out yesterday.

The backpack program plays a crucial role in bridging the food gap that many families face over the weekend.

It’s a lifeline for those who run out of food on Saturday and Sunday, providing them and their children with essential supplies to see them through until the start of the school week. I was surprised to learn that many of these children have nothing to eat from Friday until Monday.

We have been helping to fill that gap, which is the point of the backpack program. It not only appeases hunger but provides vitamins and energy snacks.

I am not a nutritionist, but I always do some research when I ask people to support the food bank that also does its research. I want to learn about hunger and food deprivation.

Sometimes, people have no choice about what goes on their shelves, but sometimes, they can.

I see why they are so keen on Cambell’s Soup Noodles for the kids of the backpack program; this is what the nutritionists at Beth Israel Hospital in New York said about it when I called them; just FYI:

“Chicken Noodle Soup, with its wholesome blend of carrot, celery, and onion, is a nutritional powerhouse. Packed with vitamins C and K, antioxidants, and minerals, it not only bolsters the immune system but also aids in speedy recovery from illnesses, as confirmed by the researchers at Beth Israel Hospital in New York.”

One of the pantry mothers says she has to choose between toothpaste soap, shampoo, and oil heat. Here’s the link: please help.

“Campbell’s Condensed 25 % Less Sodium Chicken Noodle Soup, 10.75 oz  (Pack of 12), $11.94.

When volunteers fill the bags, the pantry hopes to stack the backpacks with this soup on Thursday.

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The other soups the Mansion would love to return to the shelves are here. Soups can be nourishing and filling, making dinners simple for very hard-pressed and pressured parents. The families are always looking for them.

All of these are just about out of stock and in great demand. Sarah is eager to get them back on the shelves. Please help out if you can.

Dinty Moor Beef Stew, 15oz (8 Pack) Fully Cooked & Ready-to-Eat with Fresh Potatoes &Carrots, Gluten-Free, 10g Protein, No Preservatives, Biscuits & Hot Pies, $17.12.

Campbell’s Chunky Soup, New England Clam Chowder, 16.3 Oz Can (Case of 8). $13.73.

Campbell’s Chunky Soup, Creamy Chicken and Dumplings Soup, 16.3 Can (Case of 8), $13.73.

(Campbell’s Condensed 25% Less Sodium Chicken Noodle Soup, 10.75 oz Can Pack of 12), $11.94. As Listed Above for the children’s backpacks.)

(Many boxes come into the pantry almost daily and must be broken down and recycled.)

P.S. There is an urgent need for toothpaste; those shelves are empty:

Colgate Whitening Toothpaste Gel Freshens Breth, Whitens Teeth, and Provides Sensitivity Relief; Mint Flavor, four-pack, 51 oz tubes, $15.31.

This post will remain up through Monday. You can access the Cambridge Pantry Amazon Food Wish List by clicking on the links here or on the green button at the bottom of every blog post.