Spread the word

Earlier this week was World Hunger Day.  I'd never even heard of it but ironically, spent the evening with Calvary Church's middle schoolers packing boxes at St. Louis Food Bank.  We had a terrific time and they worked so hard.  I'm not sure how many pallets of food they packed but each box will feed a senior citizen in the St. Louis area for a time.  As I looked around and saw the kids smiling and having fun serving, my heart was joyful.

When we left we went to Chick-fil-a to eat and in an attempt to save my brain from the speed of which middle school girls all speak at the same time and checked Facebook.  That's when I learned that it was World Hunger Day.  You see, we aren't the only ones that are doing this.  A dear friend from college named Emily began working with a teacher friend serving the Crystal City schools, where her children attend, just a few months after we began here at John Weldon.  She was fortunate enough to see a cute little picture of a t-shirt about ending world hunger and learned about World Hunger Day.  Since she did such a great job of saying it, I wanted to share it with you:

"Today, October 16, is World Food Day. World Food Day was founded in 1979 and is recognized in over 150 countries worldwide to bring attention to the issues if poverty and hunger. For a child who doesn't have enough to eat, the problems go far beyond a rumbling belly. They can't focus in class because all they think about is food. They can't concentrate on their homework. If they get sick, it takes them longer to get healthy. Thanks to your support, we can help to spare the little ones in our community from going hungry. Please take a moment today to pray for the children we serve, as well as the children around the globe who are struggling to get enough to eat. And thank you for your continued support-you are making a difference for the little ones in our school!"

Why recreate the wheel when someone has said it perfectly?!  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you!

God is using this ministry and this community to change lives and the word is getting out.  Just yesterday I got an email from a donor friend saying that she'd ran into someone at the grocery store when she was shopping for Bear Necessities, told her friend about it and her friend immediately went to buy stuff for her to bring too!  Keeping with quoting fabulous people, she said "The Holy Spirit was at work!"  

This week we do need a few things for our bags.  Here's our list of what you can do to be a part of that work that God is doing:

44 oatmeal envelopes

20 peanut butter

2 almond butter

10 green beans

Another thing you can do is just tell people about what we're doing.  Other schools need their communities to rise up in Jesus name to feed the hungry there but most people don't even realize that there are hungry kids at their schools.  Will you tell them?  

Last donations of first quarter

Wednesday is the last time we will back this quarter.  The kids get a break from October 11 to October 18. 

The following is what we will need for the following week  & cycle break:

44  32 chili
45 4 beefaroni
90 easy mac envelopes
44  24 peas
44 applesauce
44 cheez its
44 pudding cups
44 21 tuna
26 16 soup

Deadline for this is Tuesday, October 8.

Don't forget that if Hidden Creek subdivision is more convenient for you, we have added a second drop off location for our donors.

5531 Wooded Creek Dr.
St. Charles, MO 63304

This week, Cycle Break and a New Location

This week we are also preparing for cycle break.  It's still difficult to believe that it's already upon us but it is.

Here's what we need to get the bags together this week:

47 corn
39 raisins
26 applesauce
11 pudding cups

Deadline for this is Wednesday, October 2.

The following is what we will need for the following week  & cycle break:

47 chili
45 beefaroni
94 easy mac envelopes
47 peas
47 applesauce
47 cheez its
47 pudding cups
47 tuna
30 soup

Deadline for this is Tuesday, October 8.


Lastly, we now have an alternate location for drop offs.  The Hornberger family has volunteered their home as another place that donations can be taken.  Melissa will bring anything donated to our main location each week so that they can be packed.  We are always so grateful for how much the community of believers wants to work together!   For anyone who lives on the east side of Hwy K, this location might prefer to drop off at this location:

5531 Wooded Creek Dr.
St. Charles, MO 63304

If that is not convenient, you can still drop items off at:

118 Wimbledon Ct.
O'Fallon, MO 63368

Either way, everything will wind up going to the exact same kids at John Weldon.  :)

By Christ and for Christ and this week's needs

Thank you to everyone who came together and got the bags out for last week in my absence.  I simply cannot explain what a blessing it is to be able to know that there are people around me who pick up the balls that I drop and keep them in the air.  It is truly a testament to the fact that this ministry is by Christ and for Christ.  It is about a community behaving like a community as the believers did in the first century and that would have made my Daddy so proud.  Daddy was all about Jesus and all about small town living.  O'Fallon was "the big city" to my Daddy but this community of believers sure makes it feel so much more like a small town to me.

In the midst of grief and chaos, the meal plan for last week was changed to simplify things for those who had to figure it all out at the last minute.  So, this is what we will need for this week:

9 peanut butter
2 almond butter
40 32 ritz cracker sleeves
40 easy mac envelopes
27 15 cans green beans
45 fruit cups
10 applesauce
7 cheez its
47 apples

If you can contribute, thank you.  If you cannot, please pray and share this with others that might be able to help.  Thank you to the community!

Updated list of items for TOMORROW

Change in what we need this week:

30 soup
29 ravioli
3 spaghetti o
15 green beans
35 fruit cups
11 applesauce

Please remember that we need everything before 4 pm tomorrow.  Thank you.  

It takes a village...

For anyone that came by on Friday and did not get the notice that I put on Facebook that I had to leave town due to a family emergency, I apologize.  I didn't have access to a computer to update the blog while I was gone.  A HUGE thank you to everyone who helped make things happen last week.  It was a greater group effort than usual.  It really does take a village! 

This week we have several needs:

35 peanut butter (18 ounces)
41 ritz cracker sleeves
1 easy mac envelope
15 cans green beans
35 fruit cups
11 applesauce
36 apples

I am planning to look at the stuff that was donated for the birthday bags and reschedule the party with a list of what we will need for the year.

Hunger Action Month and a Birthday Party

September is Hunger Action Month?  Yea, I guess that means that we're supposed to raise awareness about hunger in America.  Some don't realize what a big problem it is here in our backyards.  Current statistics indicate that 1 in 5 kids in the US are living in homes that don't have enough food for everyone living there. It's such a contrast to hear that fact and contrast it with the fact that the US is one of the richest countries in the world.  Those two things don't make any sense together, do they? 

That is the entire reason that we do what we do at Bear Necessities!  Week after week, God calls our community to give as they feel called showing His love and provision to these kids and because of that, THEY DON'T GO HUNGRY.  praise God! 

One other thing you can do to help support Hunger Action Month is to wear orange.  Someone somewhere designated orange as the color for this cause and so our sweet little bear has changed this month and is sporting an orange shirt and an orange balloon to show his support for no child being hungry!





Our list this week isn't too huge so I'll update when everything comes in so that if you're wanting to buy, you can buy from the general list of items that we always need. 

This week we need:

47 cans tuna
15 ritz cracker sleeves
12 cans soup
37 apples

Finally, I wanted to invite you all to a birthday party.  Yes, Bear Necessities is officially TWO YEARS OLD and to celebrate, you are invited to help put together birthday bags for our kiddos!  We've already had two kids celebrate their birthday this school year and that means we will need 45 more bags.  So, here are the details:

Friday, September 13 at 10 a.m.
118 Wimbledon Ct.
O'Fallon, MO 63368

Each bag will need:
cake mix
icing
party plates
party napkins
Happy Birthday Card
school approved individually wrapped treats to share with classmates. 

CLARIFICATION:  NONE OF THE ABOVE ITEMS HAVE BEEN PURCHASED AND IF YOU ARE ABLE TO PURCHASE SOME AND BRING ON FRIDAY OR DROP OFF BEFORE, IT IS APPRECIATED.  WE DO NOT HAVE FUNDS CURRENTLY TO DO THIS MANY BIRTHDAY BAGS. 


Please let me know if you will be able to make it by commenting below.  I am planning to grab some bagels and coffee for us to enjoy as we stock the bags and fellowship.