Bedlam Farm Blog Journal by Jon Katz

23 October

Here Comes The Wave, The First Whisper Of The Thanksgiving Give- A- Away. Kyle, My Hero Is Ready. So Is The Pig Box.

by Jon Katz

An avalanche of Thanksgiving side foods, a tangible result of the Army Of Good Compassion, is en route to the Cambridge Food Pantry. The first order is expected to arrive later this week and will undoubtedly be huge.

I want to capture their arrival and unpacking in photos, a visual testament to the generosity of those who contributed. This was a big deal for the Army of Good, and I want to beat their drums a bit.

Kyle, a young volunteer at the Pantry, has become a friend of mine and a hero in the pantry community. His recent act of loyalty is a testament to his character. When a cake meant for a pantry fund-raising dinner was almost taken by a passerby, Kyle didn’t hesitate to act.

Kyle, who solely took the cake, could not let it go without permission. He ran outside and asked if they had asked permission to take it; the answer was no.

They didn’t need the food for themselves or their family; the taker was going to an event and wanted to bring something.

Kyle was having none of it. He got the cake and marched back in triumph. He told the cake remover that it was for people who needed the food and had permission, and she had no business taking it. He brought it back in.

I’ve got to get him a plaque or trophy. He is one of the nicest people I know, but he is direct when he needs to be. He’s devoted to the food pantry. Feel free to message him on the Amazon check checkout page.

I appreciate talking with him and taking his picture when I can. He unpacked the first wave of Thanksgiving sidings, put them on the table, and let me know they had arrived, then waited for me to get there. He’s a good man, a hard worker, and has a great sense of humor.

Sue and Kyle came to the car to meet Zinnia, who was thrilled to see them. I wondered if she knew they had been opening food boxes.

Local farmers play a crucial role in supporting the Food Pantry. They bring produce they can’t sell on a daily basis and deposit it in what’s affectionately known as the Pig Box (purchased by the Army of Goods). Kyle and his mother, Kim, are often there to ensure the box is clean, washing and inspecting the produce before bringing the best inside. The food they provide is always popular and greatly appreciated. I have a hunch I’ll be back there tomorrow.

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Beautiful Morning

23 October

Beautiful Morning, Bedlam Farm. It Was All About The Sky

by Jon Katz

I got up early this morning and saw the sun coming up. The sky was gorgeous, so I focused on that before learning that we had all we needed for the Cambridge Pantry to go ahead with its Thanksgiving Give-A-Way in November. I was smiling all day. Thanks, Army of Good.

I also got a new Iphone 16 Pro Max; the camera has some new features and opens up new paths for my photography—details to come. I am so grateful to be here.

Zup and Company. This is where Zip cleans up every morning; he is meticulous.

I got out just in time for sunrise.

Kim, the shy, is warming up to me.

St. Jo is happy with the sunrise.

The sky never stopped being beautiful this morning.

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23 October

Joy, Joy!, You Did It In Three Days, From 600 Items To None. The Cambridge Pantry Thanksgiving Give-A-Way Request Is Fulfilled! A Million Thanks To You

by Jon Katz

Thanks for your incredible support in wiping out the Cambridge Pantry Thanksgiving Give-A-Way Wish list of 600 items in two and a half days. It’s all on the way.

Your generosity has ensured that essential items like Turkey Gravy, Cranberry Juice, and Turkey Stuffing have all been removed from the wish list, making a significant difference to the families we support.

(Today’s requests, Sarah isn’t one to rest on her laurels:

Amazon Fresh, Lemonade from Concentrate, 64 Fl oz, $2.79.

Happy Belly Juice Cocktail, Cranberry, Plastic Bottle, 64 fl oz (Pack of One) $2.61.)

Thanks to your support, 150 families (over 100 children) can now enjoy a stress-free Thanksgiving. Just a few days before the holiday, they will drive through a road by the pantry to collect two baskets of stuffings, juice, and a big fat frozen turkey filled with joy and relief.

When Sarah first approached me about this beautiful project, she politely said we would have four to five weeks to get the 600 items needed. Little did she know that the Army of Good, with your help, wiped out the wish list in just two and a half days. I’m sure she didn’t expect such a swift and decisive response.

We got more than 300 cans of Turkey Grave, 150 Bottles of Cranberry Juice, and 150 Cans and packages of Turkey Stuffing. (Photos, stuff we sent.)

I’m not a long-view type, but I’m more of a Pit Bull type – Once I’m in it, I can barely sleep for days. I will sleep well tonight. We get it done. The Army of Good likes to do things that way.

We’ve supported more than 60 Wish Lists—refugee children, older adults in assisted care, and now the families who come to the Cambridge Pantry for food support.

She was amazed when Sarah heard we could complete the wish list in a week. She said our first response generated the most significant order in the Food Pantry’s history. Doing this kind of good is a great gift; few things feel as good, indeed not arguments and hatred.

I am proud of you all and immensely grateful, as are Sarah, the volunteers at the pantry, and the struggling families who are members of the pantry and whose Thanksgiving will be proud and bright.

Your dedication and generosity are truly admirable. Thank you, thank you.

Sarah always remembers her patrons, and she called me very early to say the regular pantry (food distribution on Wednesday and Saturday) needs support. She asked for Cranberry Juice (for now, not Thanksgiving) and Lemonade, which is always one of the children’s first choices. One is $2.61, and one is $2.79.

Again, it’s Juice Day for the children, a reminder of how hard the pantry must work to keep troubled people and their children in food. You mean a lot to them, believe me:

Amazon Fresh, Lemonade from Concentrate, 64 Fl oz, $2.79.

Happy Belly Juice Cocktail, Cranberry, Plastic Bottle, 64 fl oz (Pack of One) $2.61.

This is a landmark day for the Food Pantry, proof that their work is efficient and good-hearted and that this food pantry is severe and ambitious. It’s beautiful to make sure these people have something relevant to be thankful for—the point of the holiday itself. You have given them that.

Their customers have lots of problems, but they are deeply grateful to you for bringing light back into their lives at a time when others seem so angry and cold-hearted.

You can access the Cambridge Food Pantry Amazon Wish List anytime, day or night. Just click on the links in these pots, or access it yourself by clicking on the green pantry button at the bottom of every blog post. Thanks for giving so many people a Thanksgiving to be thankful for.

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The Cambridge Food Pantry

22 October

Hallelujah: Goodness Lives. The Pantry Thanksgiving Dinner Give-A-Way Soars. Two Down (Stuffing, Cranberry Juice), One To Go: Turkey Gravy, 121 Cans, $1.99′

by Jon Katz

This is terrific news. We began this mission over the weekend, asking for help getting 600 separate items for the frozen turkeys and all the stuffings for the Thanksgiving giveaway. The Give-A-Way will feed 150 families On November 21. We are more than two-thirds there.

All must be registered members of the Cambridge Food Pantry.

Our job was to send the stuffing, gravy, and Cranberry Sauce.

The cranberry sauce and stuffings on the Thanksgiving Wish List are now gone, thanks to the Army of Good, and 150 cans each are on their way to the Cambridge Food Pantry for Thanksgiving.

We began the campaign with 300 cans of turkey gravy (two for each family). What a gift to know that 150 families got a complete and filling Thanksgiving meal because we and others cared. I’ll be thinking of them and of you.

Kids should never be worried about getting a Thanksgiving Dinner.

Thank you, good people. As of Tuesday afternoon, we only need 122 cans of Turkey Gravy ($1.99). I will buy six gravies, which will cost me $11.99, maybe more than once.

Your contributions have already made a significant impact. We’re deeply grateful for your support and hope to complete the gravy request before the weekend.

The pantry is facing logistical challenges in storing the items, but your support has made this the largest single donation in the Pantry’s history. I hope you are proud of yourselves. I am. Now, the families will have some money to buy some extra food.

(They have to plan to store and transport it safely). The volunteers will hand out baskets to families.

This is what it will take to complete the Thanksgiving Give-A-Way, just one item. Each family will get two cans.

Campbell’s Turkey Gravy, 10.5 Oz Can, $1.99. We need 121 additional cans.

You can access the Cambridge Foot Pantry Amazon Wish List anytime and purchase items anytime by clicking on any link or the green “pantry” button at the bottom of each blog post.

Done.

It’s lovely that the Thanksgiving campaign is taking shape so rapidly. But we want to remember the people who must brush their teeth and clean their dental appliances – kids and elders.

We are also asking for two items that need attention. Thank you for caring:

Efferdent Retainer Cleaning Tablets, Denture Cleaning Tablets for Dental Appliances, Minty Fresh & Clean 126 Count, $5.47.

Colgate Total Whitening Toothpaste with Fluoride, 10 Benefits Including Sensitivity, Relief and Stain Removal, Mint, 5.1 ounces, (4 Pack), $13.54.

Done

Today’s delivery filled up two walls; this is just one. Sue hates lying around; she works day and night in the pantry. She and others spent hours today unpacking and storing the food we are sending.