Thank you!

We had a lovely family day today. Boy Scout make-up activity as a family after sleeping in this morning...Thies Farm with some of our favorite people after that and then some fun at the subdivision Fall Festival. Just when we thought we'd had the perfect day we got home to this on our doorstep:





In it I found this:






I just love how our God has called this community to care for one another. Then, as Madeline was unpacking, she found this:





Have you ever read that book "Have You Filled a Bucket Today?" That's what this made me thing of today.  The book is a great way to teach kids why kindness is important.  In it, basically, everyone has an imaginary bucket.  When the bucket is full, we're good. When it's empty, we're not so good.   It explains that we can fill others' buckets by doing or saying kind things.


Thank you! My heart and bucket are full!!!


"All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions were their own, but they shared everything they had." ~Acts 4:32

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

One week down, on to the next one!

While normally it would seem abnormal to say that losing is a good thing... especially when talking about losing a person... but with Bear Necessities, losing people because their family is in a better financial place and no longer needs help is AWESOME!  Praise God for his provision in their lives!  This week we had a couple of kids withdraw for that reason and their parents expressed gratitude to all involved for helping in their time of need!  While we're excited every week that God has provided through community donations everything needed for the kids that have signed up, it is more exciting to hear that life is turning around for some of our families!  

I'm going to go ahead and post what is needed for the next two weeks.  Remember that next week there is no school on Friday so we will need the donations no later than Wednesday.  

October 31-November 2

15 cans of soup

24 cans of ravioli

20 envelopes of easy mac

13 cans of corn

27 boxes of raisins

25 applesauce

18 pudding cups

27 apples

November 7-10

17 envelopes of oatmeal

15 cans of chili

22 cans of beefaroni

27 envelopes of easy mac

23 cans of peas

15 juice boxes

27 applesauce

27 individual bags of cheez its

27 nutragrain bars

27 apples

Thank you to everyone that is donating!  Whether you drop stuff by every week or just as you think of it, we are receiving exactly what we need!  Thank you also to the volunteers that are packing bags!  If you have been wanting to do that, remember to check the calendar and sign up!

www.tinyurl.com/BearNecessitiesJWE

 

 

Donation Update- UPDATED 10/25

Just wanted to update our totals for you:


23 Plastic jars of Jelly
1 box of Ritz Crackers
15 individual Easy Mac envelopes
7 fruit cups
13 apples

UPDATED 10/25

Exactly what we needed!

This morning I woke up... well, obviously... Anyway, when I awoke, before I opened my eyes, I was praying "Lord, I think we still need two cans of something, maybe beefaroni and some more of something I can't remember but YOU know what we need for the bags so I trust you to bring it."  I got up... got the kids and myself ready for the day... took the kids to school... brought Gavin back home because he had forgotten his backpack (as if you'd need that for school)... took Gavin back to school... picked up terribly unhealthy McDonald's to start the day off right... came home to fix myself a cup of java... chatted on the phone with a friend and then went to do my counting.  As I counted I realized.... no, we did not need two more cans of something nor did we need some more of something else.  We had exactly 30 of SOOO MANY THINGS and no less than 30 of anything!   I had added some of the stuff to the inventory list when it arrived but somehow I had missed exactly two cans of beefaroni and a bag of apples.  I was so excited by God's faithfulness at this point that I could hardly stand still but then it just got better.  The apple bags usually have ten apples in them.  I knew that Gavin had dropped a bag when he was carrying it downstairs (for the record, he is no longer allowed to carry the apples for obvious reasons).  There were two bad apples... ugh!  but as I got to looking, one of the bags had exactly... you guessed it... TWELVE!!!  So, we received exactly what we needed!  Yay God!

For next week, here's the updated list:


24 Peanut Butter
1 Almond Butter
24 Plastic jars of Jelly
2 box of Ritz Crackers
15 individual Easy Mac envelopes
17 cans of green beans
7 fruit cups
30 apples

"Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies." Psalm 36:5

Fall Break is nearly over!

Hi Everyone!  As fall break is coming to a close I wanted to give an update on how we're doing with donations for next week.  For the bags that will be packed on October 20 we only have a few things left for them to be filled:

2 cans of Beefaroni
14 fruit snasks
10 apples

The following week, October 27, we still need the following:

24 Peanut Butter
24 Plastic jars of Jelly
1 box of Ritz Crackers
15 individual Easy Mac envelopes
17 cans of green beans
7 fruit cups
30 apples

 I'm so grateful for those who have dropped items off over the break.  During this time I've had the opportunity to talk with members of the Francis Howell Community that were unaware of what we're doing at John Weldon and everyone has been so excited about it and impressed at how God has called us each week to bring exactly what these kids need! 

I also had the opportunity to speak with a nutritionist about the food choices we are able to send home with the kids.  There was really only a couple of concerns and unfortunately, it's mostly the lesser of two evils kind of situation.  Pasta noodles with sauce would be healthier for the kids than beefaroni or ravioli but there's no guarantee that a child will be able to prepare that themselves or that there will be someone available to prepare for them.  In fact, I still don't trust my nine year old with a pot of boiling water.  So, for the moment, we're going to stick with what we're sending with a few minor changes in the future.  You'll see some things getting phased out, like fruit snacks and you'll see a request for produce each week.  We have been sending produce every other week but will make it a goal to do it weekly.  Apples are easiest as they won't get smashed in backpacks.  Any other item of produce that is "backpack resistant" is welcomed as well.  As for the other suggestions, she recommended that we send as much low sodium stuff as we can though I know that often, we're getting what's on sale.  So, if you can... Great!  If you cannot... Great!  I'm going with the theory (and she agreed) that food is better than no food!

I hope that everyone has taken the fall break to spend some wonderful quiet or crazy exciting moments with the kiddos!  Just as much as their tummies need to be fed every day, their little hearts and souls crave the attention of their parents!  I, for one, have loved the extra time to take walks, watch movies, do crafts (for the record, I hate crafts but the kiddies love them so momma breaks out the craft box on breaks!), and just listen to the brilliant things they have to say.   I'm constantly amazed by the wisdom that comes from their little mouths and wonder how much I've missed in the craziness of the day to day life!  I'm so thankful for the few times a year I am forced to take a break and just give them a whole week!

First Quarter- Sweet Success!

Well, we have accomplished one whole quarter with sweet success!  I'm still not 100% sure of where this whole thing is headed in the long term but for the moment, I am enjoying the step we are on!  On a weekly basis I have questions about starting Bear Necessities groups at other schools within Francis Howell... or in neighboring cities... or across the country.  At this moment, my take on all of that is this; let's get through a whole semester well and then we can pray about the next step!  I really do have a sense that there is a greater need for communities to work together as we are and MANY ideas swirl around my head but I am committed to remember that each week there are almost 30 kids who are counting on bringing home a bag of food that I have the privilege of helping them receive.  I'm really confident that when the "next step" needs to be taken, things will fall into place and it will feel natural... whatever the "next step" is!

In the mean time, let's focus on those kids we have at John Weldon.  Everything that we needed was provided so that they will have food for the two weekends of fall break.  I was even able to put in a couple of extra things.  I'm seriously sooo excited about that.  In the last week there has been enough food donated for last weekend, this weekend and NEXT weekend!  It's nothing short of amazing!  I blogged about it on my personal blog over the weekend and I just gotta say, God is soo good!

School will be out of session until October 18, so our next delivery will go home October 21... which means that we need all of the food for that delivery by October 20 at 2 p.m.  We've got plenty of time, and there was some surplus this week... even more amazing, huh?... but let's not get distracted with the time off and forget our sweet kids!

Here's what we'll need by 10/20:

16 cans of chili
2 cans of beefaroni
19 cans of peas
14 fruit snacks
30 individual size Cheez Its
30 Nutragrain Bars
30 apples

The next week we will need the following by 10/27:

24 Peanut Butter
26 Plastic jars of Jelly
1 box of Ritz Crackers
15 individual Easy Mac envelopes
17 cans of green beans
23 fruit cups
30 individual size Rold Gold pretzels
30 Nutragrain Bars
30 apples

One additional thing that would be a great benefit to receive would be the items for our birthday bags:

gender neutral plates and napkins
gender neutral birthday cards
cake mix
icing

Since we'll be on break, I don't plan to update this grocery list until after school is back in session on 10/18 unless there's just WAY too much of something coming in and then I will let you know.

Thank you so much for your heart to care for the kids in our community!  Being a part of this program really touches my heart and I pray that it touches yours too!

Almost there...

WOW!  WOW!  WOW!!! 

That's about all I can say here!  I guess I should give a little more information though so that you know what I'm all excited about.  This week we had to receive enough food to cover two weekends for our kids and...

WE ARE ALMOST THERE!!!

The only thing that is left on the list is:

10 peanut butter
14 jars of jelly

That's it!  At times I've had to fight my own thinking of "ok.  If the food doesn't come, then..." and remind myself that God will provide through the members of the community and as I put can after can after can on the shelf this morning I was just in awe! 

There are just not enough words to explain how amazed I truly feel about being a part of this!  Though I did try on my personal blog.  I wish I could personally thank each person that sneaks up to the plastic tub on the front porch but I only see a small fraction of you... so this will have to suffice.  Thank you for all your help in working to feed these kids!