Last Donations for Third Quarter

Hi Everyone!  I'm expecting this to be the last post until after spring break.  We are very close to the end of the third full quarter of being able to serve the students at John Weldon and it's so exciting to hear how grateful they are every week.  Mr. Marian and Mrs. Meyer recently shared that week after week the kids are excited to receive their Bear Necessities bags.  As any parent can attest, a hungry child is never at his or her best but because of Bear Necessities, these kids are able to perform at their best week after week. 

There are just a few things that we need for next week and to finish the spring break bags and then our kids will be covered for the weekends until almost April.  The following list is what we need to receive by March 7:

16 cans of Ravioli

42 envelopes of easy mac

17 cans of corn

17 applesauce

19 peanut butter crackers

10 cans of tuna

18 sleeves of ritz crackers

As always, thank you so much to everyone who feels called to give this week and every week!

Moo-Mates!

I am super excited about a meeting I had this morning!  I have been trying for quite a while to connect with Karen but between busy schedules and then having to walk away from the table just moments before she pulled into the parking lot because Madeline decided to have strep throat... ok, she didn't really "decide" but you know what I mean.  It just seemed like everything was working against us getting together!  


Karen works at Operation Food Search and coordinates the churches and volunteers that pack their backpack program in Wentzville and several other Saint Charles schools.  She is super awesome and I think the meeting went long because we both have the same heart when it comes to feeding kids and providing a community with opportunities to serve.  I think we could have talked and brainstormed the entire day but she had to make a deliver to a volunteer, which is good because I've got a ton of work to do before spring break!  Anyway... Karen has finally received approval to donate milk to Bear Necessities on a weekly basis for our kids!!!  


So, in addition to the fresh produce that our kids receive (I'm excited to say that it was THREE APPLES EACH last week!) they will also receive milk to drink!  I know that I say it a lot and it's soooo cliche` but together, we really are making a difference!

look... our milk even has a bear on it! 

Not early but not late!

Well, I posted and emailed Wednesday morning with a very long list and, as usual, everything was in for the week!  Praise God!  He may not show up early but he's never late! There are just a few things that we still need for the spring break weeks but not even half of what it was on Wednesday.  In fact, I started this update yesterday and had to delete something from the list as it was placed in the donation box this morning!  Don't forget to print this post to take with you to the store! 

This is what we need for the coming week:

18 peanut butter

16 jelly (plastic containers please)

24 ritz cracker sleeves

24 easy mac envelopes

22 cans of green beans

11 fruit cups

24 applesauce

24 individual bags of cheez its

This is what we still need for Spring Break:

24 envelopes of easy mac

23 individual bags of cheez its

23 cans of tuna

12 ritz cracker sleeves

16 applesauce

Weekly Update

Hi Everyone!  I was talking with one of our awesome donors the other day and she told me that while at one of her kids' functions, she was talking about Bear Necessities and some of the other John Weldon parents had no idea 1) what Bear Necessities was and 2) that there were kids at John Weldon that would need such a service. They were truly shocked.  It just reminded me (and prompted this reminder to you) that WE need to be telling people about Bear Necessities!  I know that there are more kids that are hungry than the 20-30 that we feed every week.  In every single school in our district there are kids that don't have enough in their homes... Can you imagine if every school had a community working together the way we are to end that hunger?  Keep talking... please keep spreading the word!

Updated 2/22


Next week we are still needing several things to come in by 2/22:

17 individual cereal boxes

24 breakfast cereal bars

7 cans of tuna

21 sleeves of ritz crackers

9 cans of soup

11 peanut butter crackers

20 apples, oranges or pears

Most of what we'll need to pack bags for the first week of spring break has been provided so the following is what we need for that second week:

Spring Break Week 1

15 cans of chili

23 beefaroni

24 individual bags of cheez its

Spring Break Week 2

25 individual cereal boxes

24 breakfast cereal bars

24 cans of tuna

24 sleeves of ritz crackers

24 cans of soup

24 peanut butter crackers

24 easy mac envelopes

24 applesauce

I know it's a long list but if everyone does just a little, I know we can do it!  Stretch yourself, give up a Starbucks, clean out the sofa... if we all find a few extra dollars, this list will disappear so fast!

Donation Update for 2/15

Thank you so much for all the support that has come in this last week!  I'm especially appreciative that we now have pre-assembled birthday bags for each student for the remainder of this year! 


The following list is what we need donated by 2/15:

20 individual boxes of cereal

18 cans of chili
20 cans of beefaroni

6 easy mac envelopes or cups

13 cans of peas

22 individual bags of cheez its

25 breakfast bars

20 apples, oranges, or pear (really any fruit that isn't easily smashed)

We still have a few things for that first week of spring break that we need.  Thanks so much to those that bought stuff specifically for that list!   Since we have two weeks of spring break (HOORAY!) I'll post our needs for the second week as soon as this one is complete. 

For one Spring Break week:

20 boxes of cereal

25 cans of chili

25 cans of beefaroni

25 envelopes of easy mac

13 cans of peas

1 juice boxes

11 applesauce

25 individual bags of cheez its

Thanks again to everyone that works together to make Bear Necessities work!  There are so many families that  work together for it to work and every single one of you is appreciated and necessary!!!

A season for everything...

In Ecclesiastes 3:1, it says:  "For everything there is a season,  a time for every activity under heaven."  Apparently, this winter, it is the very rare season to receive unexpected blessings!  Not only has it been fabulously warm this last month... and this girl is LOVING the no-coat-necessary-flip-flop-weather... but it has also been a month that our needs have been continuously met every week!  Like I said before, that is not common this time of year.  This means that we're meeting the needs of our students!  Praise God for that!


WE have just five short weeks until spring break, which means we'll need to have those two weeks of food before the kids leave on March 9.  To do this, we'll be collecting a few extra items each week.  On that note, here's what we need for by 2/8:

Updated 2/6

25 boxes of cereal

25 breakfast cereal bars

16 cans of ravioli

9 envelopes of easy mac

15 cans of corn

10 boxes of raisins

8 applesauce

14 peanut butter crackers

5 pudding cups

25 apples (oranges or pears work too)

For one Spring Break week:

25 envelopes of oatmeal

25 boxes of cereal

25 cans of chili

25 cans of beefaroni

25 envelopes of easy mac

25 cans of peas

25 juice boxes

25 applesauce

25 individual bags of cheez its

25 nutragrain bars

I'll keep this spring break week up with each post until it is filled and then I'll add the items we'll need for that second week of spring break.

That's all for now.  I hope everyone is out there enjoying this beautiful weather while it lasts!

Blessings to you!