Bedlam Farm Blog Journal by Jon Katz

“Thank you for allowing us to do some good. I’m drowning in requests for money, and it’s a pleasure to trust in you and Sarah at the Food Pantry. I see and know just where the money is going, and it makes me feel so good every time. I give something every time you ask. Thanks for the chance to support the food pantry and do good for people who need help…” Donna, Colorado.

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Sarah urgently needs to replenish the shelves for Tide and Velveeta Shells & Cheese, two of the most wanted items on the Pantry Wish Lists. These items are the hardest to keep on the shelves, and we hope to build some extra storage areas for them so they don’t run out every week.

We greatly appreciate your help. It’s a busy week with many distractions.

Sarah also asks for help getting more healthy cereal to the 67 children who get backpacks so they can have three meals over the weekends when the school lunch programs are unavailable.  I was surprised to learn that some children told their teachers they were afraid of weekends and might not eat much until Monday when school re-opened.

We pack the take-home weekend bags on Thursdays. We got enough Ramen, but Sarah says the pantry needs more cereal boxes to fill those bags (see below). Please help if you can. She has worked hard to make these items inexpensive:

Sarah’s request for today, Monday:

The popular Velveeta Shells & Cheese Original Chell Pasta & Cheese Sauce is available in three—Packs of 12-oz Boxes for $7.47.

The much-wanted Tide Ultra Liquid Laundry Detergent, Original Scent, 10 Fl. Oz is $7.47.

In addition, her request for cereal for the kid’s backpack program got cleaned out last week:

The Healthy Life Breakfast Cereal, Cinnamon, 13 oz Boxes (3Pack), $ 8.62.

Original Cinnamon Toast Crunch Breakfast Cereal, 12 Oz Cereal Box, $2.99.

We need cereal for the take-home packs for hungry children on the weekends. Cereal is especially important in their diet for vitamins and energy.

Reminder: You can access the Cambridge Pantry Amazon Food Wish List at any time, day or night, and make your own choices whenever you feel the urge to do good. You can also access the Wish List by clicking the green button at the bottom of every blog post.

“We are out of cereal and Ramen Noodles for the backpack children,” says Sarah. I know how much people have contributed; we are grateful, but if anyone in the Army of Good could help us with these two items, the families and the children (and me) would be grateful. Sarah found the best bargains possible from Amazon for both.

The backpack program is a collaboration between the Cambridge Food Pantry and the Central School in Cambridge. With the help of teachers, the school identified children who may be without nutritious or adequate food over the weekends. We pack the backs full of warm dinners, snacks, energy drinks, and food and stuff them in backpacks Thursday morning.

This gives those 67 children warm meals throughout the weekend. Those two items are critical for the children:

Because of the record-breaking number of people coming through the pantry, these two items—staples for the backpacks—are gone; your help would be appreciated.

Cereals.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Breakfast Cereal, 12 Oz. Cereal Box, $1.99.

Life Breakfast Cereal Cinnamon, 13 Oz  Boxes (3 Pack), $8.62.

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Ramen:

Nissin Top Ramen Noodle Soup, Beef, 3 Ounce (Pack of 24), $18.97.

Maruchan Ramen Port, Instant Ramen Noodles, Ready To Eat, 24 Count, $6.00.

Maruchan Ramen Chicken, Instant Ramen Noodles, Ready To Eat Meals, 3 Oz. 24 Count, $6.00.

You can access and browse the Cambridge Amazon Food Pantry anytime, day or night, by clicking on any of the links here or going to the green button “Cambridge food pantry” at the bottom of every blog post. Thank you for helping; you are heroes here. The wish list is updated frequently throughout the day. Everything on it is wanted but either impossible or difficult to find.