2017-2018 School Year Begins Next Week

Hey Everyone! Hope you all enjoyed a fantastic summer! School starts NEXT WEEK and that means we will be back to serving our students at John Weldon Elementary and Francis Howell Middle School! Right now the shelves are BARE as we used everything we had to meet our summer needs. What does that mean?

We usually serve 25-35 students each year so that's what we estimate for this year as well. Some of the following items are sent home once per month, some twice, and some four times per month. That is reflected in parenthesis after the item. We count on God to provide each and every week through the members of our faithful community. We're thankful that this is the seventh year serving the students of our community! If you'd like to join us in serving these students, the donation box is on the porch and ready to receive donations:

Instant Oatmeal Package (2)

Peanut Butter - the smaller jars are preferable (1)

Ritz Crackers (2)

Easy Mac Macaroni and Cheese - the single serving envelopes fit in their backpacks the best. (4)

Canned Soup (2)

Canned Ravioli (1)

Canned Beefaroni (1)

Canned Green Beans (2)

Canned Corn (1)

Canned Peas (1)

Canned Tuna (1)

Fruit Cups (4)

Applesauce (4)

Raisins (2)

Fruit Snacks (1)

Individual bags of Cheez Its (2)

Granola Bars (2)

Pudding Cups (2)

Nutrigrain bars (2)

Peanut Butter Crackers (2)

Do you know someone who would like to help in this ministry? Please share this information with them too!

Needs for January 20th set up

Happy 2016 Everyone!  We started the year off wonderful with stocked shelves that filled bags for two weeks!  We do need a few items to make sure that next week's bags are filled properly.

Here's a list of what is needed:

25 cans chili
29 juice boxes
9 sleeves ritz crackers
29 fruit cups
29 applesauce
29 pudding cups

Please remember that you don't have to get everything. Every person who is able to give a little adds to every other person able to give a little and in the end, with God, it's always enough!

Just a couple of New Year Announcements

It's a joy to welcome the year with the storehouses full! At the end of the semester, God filled the shelves through the John Weldon food drive and a sweet girl who always asks her friends to buy food for us for her birthday instead of receiving gifts!

Christmas was thoroughly enjoyed by our Bear Necessities families. Gifts were given from 2Rivers Church along with grocery gift cards. Stockings were given by a local Girl Scout leadership. Gifts were also given by a local middle school student. What a blessing it is to be in community with people who are so obedient to God's call to be generous!

The new sign up is available for this semester and it usually fills quickly so be sure to get on it right away:

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0f4aaeaa22a64-20122013

December Needs

It's hard to believe that this is the last post with needs there will be for 2015 but the time has come! 

There are three weeks, okay, two and a half weeks of school left for this year and this is what is needed to make sure that the local kids we serve have food every weekend:

60 breakfast bar
6 ravioli
10 family size macaroni and cheese
30 corn
30 oatmeal envelopes
30 chili
30 beefaroni
30 juice boxes
60 applesauce
20 individual bags of cheez its
25 tuna
17 ritz cracker sleeves
44 easy mac envelopes
30 fruit cups
30 pudding cups

Each week we serve 30 kids.  We provide breakfast, lunch, a vegetable, milk and two snacks for the weekend.  We do this because it's hard to behave when you're hungry.  We do this because it's hard to learn when you're hungry.  We do this because no child should be hungry, especially in a world where we have so much excess. 

December is hard and it's busy.  Our kids' Christmas lists are long and sometimes daunting but remember, no one needs to buy the whole list, every small bag with 5-10 cans adds up to enough EVERY. SINGLE. WEEK.  Our Gracious God has provided enough for us all if only those of us who have more than enough share with those who are in need.  As we celebrate God's sacrifice to us in sending his Son to earth, let us remember to show love to those around us because He first loved us!

This week's needs

Bear Necessities needs the following items this week:

17 peanut butter
28 ritz cracker sleeves
27 easy mac envelopes
27 green beans
8 fruit cups
28 applesauce

If you are able to help with even just an item or two, it is greatly appreciated and if you know someone who might want to help, please pass this on!

Needs for 11/9-13

Thank you so much to everyone who helped this last week.  It always seems like the weeks leading up to the holidays have a higher number of cans needed than other weeks, so every can is appreciated! 

8 nutragrain bars
26 cans of tuna
6 easy mac envelopes
21 fruit cups
10 individually wrapped oreo snacks
64 individually wrapped rice crispy treats

Please remember that we set up on Wednesday and pack the bags on Thursday. 

This week's needs and five birthdays

Bear Necessities needs for this week:

11 oatmeal

30 cans of chilli

30 cans beefaroni

30 easy mac envelopes

24 cans peas

We also have five birthdays this month so we need five cake mixes and icing. With that we will also need about 100 rice crispy treats as well. 

Please share this with anyone that might be interested in helping. Every little bit counts!