Here are five out of 15 items urgently needed by the Cambridge Food Pantry for their families and children this week as a heat alert is called for most of the week. We can’t do it all, but we can help:
Swanson White Premium Chunk Canned Chicken Breast in Water, Fully Cooked, 4.5 Oz Can, Pack of 4, $7,93.
Del Monte Fresh Cut Diced Canned Potatoes, Canned Vegetables, 12 Pack, 14.5Oz Cans, $17.88.
Peter Pan Creamy Peanut Butter, Great For Peanut Butter And Jelly Sandwiches, Healthy Snacks, 16.)z Jar, Pack of 12, $29.92.
Skippy Super Chunk Peanut Butter, 16.3 Ounce (Pack of 12), $13.28.
Del Monte Fresh Cut Diced Canned Potatoes, Canned Vegetables, 12 Pack, 14.5 Oz Can, $17.88.
Here’s the back story:
Over the weekend, Sarah Harrington texted me to say she had to expand the Amazon Wish List to 15 items because the number of people seeking food help had increased sharply over the weekend. At first, I wasn’t sure how we could best help with so many items gone. I don’t want to ask too much of the people in the Army of Good; we don’t have many wealthy members.
I considered it and asked Sarah to choose the four or five items she most needed and let the Army of Good People decide what they could do. She listed the needed foods above. They are all on the Cambridge Pantry’s Amazon Wish List.
We can’t fill every need that crops up in difficult times; our idea is to do the best we can for as long as possible, and our motto is small acts of great kindness. Some of these families do not have air conditioning.
(What the Army Of Good sent over the weekend.) The boxes of lemonade came just in time.
Last week, we sent an astonishing amount of support – juice, soup, Tide, and more. I am asking people to do what they can and not feel pressured to do more than is safe. Fortunately, the items needed are among the least expensive. Please don’t take any risks or weaken your financial position.
Sarah wasn’t asking us to fill all those gaps in her shelf, and the pantry will receive enough help from other sources to keep anyone from starving. They will get produce, soap, milk, and other items needed for a balanced and healthy meal, especially during close to 100-degree temperatures.
But the items gone are not just any items; they are central and crucial to the health and morale of struggling families. Your support can make a world of difference in their lives. We will do the best we can. That’s all we can ask anyone to do.
It’s getting warm now, and it’s expected to be near 100 degrees by noon tomorrow. Any help will be a lifeline for families. The pantry has air conditioning for the people who come to eat.
Your support can help these families and their children nourish and hydrate during this challenging time. Maria and I are going to the pantry tomorrow afternoon to help out. She’ll help Sarah stack the food on the shelves for take-away, and I’ll help when I can and take some photos to chronicle what’s happening.
(What you sent over the weekend. Thanks.)
All of these needed items, along with others, are available on the Cambridge Pantry Wish List, which is updated daily.
