Today is a momentous day at the Cambridge Food Pantry; thanks to your contribution, every member can drive up next to the pantry and go home with a frozen turkey and all of the trimmings for a complete Thanksgiving Dinner.

She also urgently needs your help with potatoes and rice. Your immediate action is crucial and can make a significant difference. The need is pressing, and your help is urgently needed.

Betty Crocker Butter & Herb Mashed Potatoes, 4 Ounces (Pack of 8), $9.49.

Ben’s Original Ready Rice Jasmine Rice, Dinner Side, 8.5 Oz (Pack of 6), $9.98.

Thank you so much for your past contributions. Your support has been an incredible gift to those in need. We hope you will consider helping with the Thanksgiving distribution. Your continued support is a beacon of hope for those we serve. Thanks to your past and potential future contributions, every pantry member will receive a full dinner for their families.

But hunger does not take a holiday off, of course, and Sarah is continuing her push for warm, filling, as nutritious as possible, and easy-to-cook canned foods. Healthy food is needed, but it is more complicated and more challenging to afford, and your continued support is vital. It’s a constant rolling of the dice, and the healthiest and most organic food is not affordable for the pantries, the pantry banks, or the people struggling to feed their families.

But I am learning that all of the food has benefits.

Sarah has many realities to consider—the cost of food, availability of food, home (stove or no stove), children’s space, work pressures, etc. Organic foods are rarely an option. We can and are bringing a lot of healthy foods into the mix, which is very much appreciated.

Cost is an overwhelming challenge.

Sarah always looks for the healthiest possible food. Today, she asks for help getting two items back on the shelves: Butter and Herbs, Mashed Potatoes, and Ready-to-Cook Jasmine rice.

Betty Crocker Butter & Herb Mashed Potatoes, 4 Ounces (Pack of 8), $9.49.

Ben’s Original Ready Rice Jasmine Rice, Dinner Side, 8.5 Oz (Pack of 6), $9.98.

My homework research: Butter and herbs are healthy foods, especially for children, rich in essential vitamins and minerals. However, they are also high in calories, so they are occasional food choices.   The vitamins are critical for families with kids, and there are severe limits on what they or the pantries can afford.

Jasmine rice is a relatively healthy, lower-calorie food with more calcium and fiber than regular rice. The pantry mixes up the foods offered, so the benefits and problems are spaced out. None of the pantries can afford to buy the healthiest foods; they have to do what they can, what their members can handle, and what they can store.

A lot of their members cook on hot places, not stoves.

In my view, the most dangerous meals are no meals. Warmth is also a huge factor in the far Northeast.

Below is what the Army of Goods sent in response to the request for soup and healthy side dishes.

Thanks to the Army of Good, this has been a great week for the Cambridge Food Pantry. It isn’t over yet. The Thanksgiving giveaway is a very important event in a community where community matters.

As requested, lots of spaghetti meatballs and chicken soup are available. I’ll be at the pantry this afternoon when the packages for the Thanksgiving giveaway are prepared. Thanks again for making all of this possible. P.S. You can access the Cambridge Pantry Amazon Food Wish List at any time, it is updated routinely throughout the day and night. You can also access the list by clicking the green button at the bottom of every blog post.