Christmas Blessings for our kids, Food for next week and Thanks!

What an incredible blessing it is to have a community of people working together.  The Saint Charles Elk's Lodge has purchased nearly all of the gifts that we need to bless our kids for Christmas.  There were just a few items that they were unable to get and so we're confident that some of you will be able to help!

1.  Football Gloves for a 7 year old boy
2. Zelf Doll
3. Winter Fleece Headband
4.  Stuffed Giraffe
5.  Pink or Hello Kitty headphones

Seriously, that's it!  Can you even believe it?  I just love the generosity that God has placed in the heats of those living in this community!

If you are able to get one of these items to me by MONDAY, please comment below AND text me 314-540-4718.  Please tell me who you are in the text too.

Lastly, we will need 42   18 easy mac envelopes and 42 apples or oranges this week. 

p.s.  A HUGE thank you to the Girl Scout leaders who worked together to make stockings for all of our kids!  I know they're going to love them!

Thanksgiving Dinners

Hi Everyone!

If you are one of the families that had signed up to receive Thanksgiving Dinner, they will be available for pick up THIS MONDAY at John Weldon during school hours only.  Please be sure to pick up as there is not refrigerator space for anything at school. 

Thank you!


To everyone who makes this ministry work week after week,

Thank you so much for all you do and have a very Happy Thanksgiving! 

Food Drive Update

I apologize for not updating everyone on the wonderful success the JW Student Council had at the food drive on Saturday but I awoke Sunday with a terrible sinus something and did not feel at all myself until yesterday.

I was able to stop by Shop 'n Save during the day and get a photo of some of the wonderful kids who were helping.

The first delivery came by 10 a.m. and more were made later throughout the day.

This set of photos was taken after the second to last delivery.  There was a final, equally large, delivery after this was taken but I was in the basement unpacking and organizing. 

After several deliveries, Ms. Strebeck and Mrs. Marino stayed and helped us organize all of the food.  There is more than we have room for!  Yet, in perfect God fashion, there are a few items we didn't receive a ton of and so we will still post when we need those items.  Since God created us to serve one another, there is still an opportunity to serve Him through Bear Necessities every week.  We will continue to need 42 apples every week and if we wind up with 84, the kids will all get two!  Nothing wrong with that!

As we were unpacking, Mrs. Marino found a sweet note that had been placed into one of the bags:

 

I always love the reminder that we don't do this out of some desire to be good but because there are real people who are hungry and God gives us enough that we can share with them.  It is not His will for any to be hungry.  He has provided more than enough for everyone.  It is we who hoard it... 

well, not in this community!   

Thank you so much to every parent, teacher and student who helped with this!  We are so grateful for you!

Elks, Rivers and Food Drive

Instead of a needs list, today I want to share about some of the members of our community who have shown great love to us. 

That sounds kind of weird, doesn't it?  Sometimes I catch myself saying things in a way that my husband calls "churchy,"  which basically means that outside of the church walls or a group of church people, you wouldn't find that word or phrase being used.  Since not everyone was raised in church, I try to not use "churchy" words in life because my faith is something I'd like people to not be grossed out by. 

So, I want to share about some of the members of our community who have really been supportive and helpful to Bear Necessities.  (less churchy?  Okay.  Godd.)

The St. Charles Elks Lodge is an amazing group of people.  From the time that they learned that there are hungry kids at John Weldon and that there was a way to help them, they have not stopped serving.  When they show up with food, the donation box is always overflowing and sometimes even the entire foyer of the house.  True to the giving nature that they live by, they have received a grant that they would like to use to purchase Christmas gifts for our kids this year.  It's still uncertain if it will cover all 42 kids but I know that they will do everything in their power to help the kids of Bear Necessities.  My family and I have had the privilege of meeting so many of these wonderful people and count it a privilege to be serving along side them. 

Two Rivers church moved in a couple of years ago next door to Gym Quarters and began reaching out to the John Weldon Community right away holding an Easter Eggstravaganza for anyone that wanted to come.  While we have talked for a while about how best they can serve Bear Necessities, this year they had an offer that we just could not resist.  The wonderful group of people at Two Rivers has offered to provide a Thanksgiving dinner for any of our Bear Necessities families that would like to receive one and many of our families are.  They will be able to pick up a turkey and all the trimmings before Thanksgiving so that they can give thanks for all that God has provided for them this year!  God provides constantly.  Often he does it in ways that aren't what we would choose or even expect but he provides.  I'm so incredibly grateful for the amazing people at Two Rivers Church and their effort to show the love of Jesus in our community!

Finally, John Weldon elementary is such an amazing place with even more amazing people!  Tomorrow, SATURDAY NOVEMBER 9, the Student Council has organized a food drive to take place at Shop 'n Save on Hwy K in Monticello Plaza to support Bear Necessities.  Teachers, staff, parents and students are giving up such valuable Saturday time to stand at the entrances of the store, handing out lists of what we need to every customer that will take one.  So often we get wrapped up in how we can give to something financially, but so often it is our TIME that is needed the most!  I'm so touched at the effort from these who are willing to give of their free time to help their friends.  Ms. Strebeck, the amazing wonderful incredible fourth grade teacher and Student Council Sponsor has worked with Mrs. Pearson, the kind caring excellent fifth grade teacher and Student Council Sponsor to man a twelve hour shift for this food drive.  These wonderful ladies have come and packed bags with their own kids and have seen the difference Bear Necessities makes in the lives of their children as volunteers and their students as recipients. 

In light of the food drive tomorrow, I am not posting a needs list today but if you would like to give this week, I encourage you to do so by supporting our wonderful friends from John Weldon and stop by Shop 'n Save tomorrow between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Student Council Food Drive 
November 9, 2013
Shop 'N Save - Monticello Plaza
8 a.m. - 8 p.m.

What a blessing it is to serve the Lord in this wonderful community!

This week's needs

Super quick note today.  Just what we need for next week:

26 chili
36 beefaroni
41 25 easy mac envelopes
11 peas
2 juice box
42 applesauce
8 apples

This week's needs and Thanksgiving Blessings

Friday afternoon I had the privilege of speaking to about 60 kids at John Weldon about child hunger and how it's completely unnecessary in our country.  We talked about the statistics; one in four children in the US are living in homes where there isn't enough food for everyone.  We talked about how the rest of us, on a regular basis, have so much excess food in our homes that it just gets thrown away.  A group of kids agreed that this should not be the case.  We talked about how the Bear Necessities community works together with one another, the school and local churches and each week we are able to provide food for the weekends for every child in need at their school.  They asked how the program got started and where it got it's name and I was able to tell them about  a group of moms who prayed every week for their kids and how through that, God gave the idea.  Lastly, I got to share with them the humble basement where the magic happens and encourage them that when they are given an incredible task, they do not have to wait for everything to be perfect to begin because "If I waited for perfect conditions, I would never do anything." 

This week we do have some items we need and since there is no school on Friday, we need everything by 11 a.m. on Wednesday:

42 soup
36 ravioli
21 easy mac envelopes
30 corn
1 applesauce
42 apples

I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Two Rivers Church.  I was really unsure how we would do our Thanksgiving Blessings this year with the increase in families over years past.  Honestly, I just didn't see any way that it could happen.  It seemed impossible to offer something to over 30 families but during our fall break I received a call from this local church and they have offered to provide a FULL THANKSGIVING MEAL to any of our families that would like to receive one!  Praise the Lord!  We don't have to see the way for Him to be working to create one!  There simply aren't words to explain how grateful I am for this church and their participation in our community!

They will be packing bags for our families as well as families out in Wentzville on

November 23
10 a.m.
Two Rivers Church  
88 Hubble Drive
O'Fallon, MO 63368

and have asked that anyone who wants to help, come help.  If you are interested, please email me so that I can supply them with a list of how many volunteers to expect.  dorinda_peyton@yahoo.com

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.

They'll come in, mom...

On Wednesday morning I was walking my middle schooler to the bus stop because I am THAT mom.  She hasn't objected yet and I will continue to doing it as long as she will let me.  Anyway, we were talking about things that needed prayer and at that moment, when I mentioned that we were short 20 soups for Bear Necessities the following conversations occurred:

"Oh, they'll come in, Mom."

"I think so too but why do you think that?"

"Well, because God wants it to happen and he always brings whatever is needed for Bear Necessities because it's his.  Besides, week after week, there's always whatever we need."

Sigh.  She's getting it.  It (Bear Necessities) is His and that's why we can have faith that those last 20 soups will show up.  They did, by the way, and about 20 extra.  Whatever we need is always provided.


With the holiday weekend, it's going to be a little weird.  It always is on these weekends.  So, the following is what we need:

46 chili (at least 1 vegetarian please)
43 beefaroni
1 spaghetti-o
14 easy mac envelopes
42 cans peas

On another note, all of the volunteer slots have been filled.  If you are signed up but have not personally corresponded with me, please send me an email at dorinda_peyton@yahoo.com with your phone number in case I need to change something at the last minute.  I don't expect to have to do that but things do come up.  If you are signed up and need to make a change, please call or text 314-540-4718

If you signed up to deliver the bags to the school, please contact me even if you've helped before.  Our procedures for that have changed this year.

Have a blessed weekend!

Wow! What a week!

Wow.  What a week!  Actually, what a wild ride it is serving God in this community!  Just a week ago we learned that our numbers for this year were double what they have been in the past.  "Do you think you can do it?"  I was asked and after a deep breath responded, "This has always been God's.  He's provided every week before and there's no reason to believe He won't be able to do this!"  The motto for the week has pretty much been that if Jesus fed over 5,000 people with just five loaves and two fish, a mere 50 kids would be no trouble at all and it wasn't!

Bags will go home for 49 kids tomorrow and we have been served by familiar faces and some new faces this week.  It's so exciting to see people jumping in to do what they can do.  None of us can do everything but when we all put what we've got together, it's enough! 

Before I get into what we will need for next week, I am excited to share that we will be partnering with Operation Backpack during this school year to provide for our kids.  They are donating shelf stable milk and cereal for our kids each week!  With the increase in our numbers, this is absolutely an answer to our prayers!  We are so grateful to be able to work with them to make sure that Child hunger is not happening in our school.

Now, for what we need next week.  The deadline is WEDNESDAY. 

5 breakfast cereal bars
20 cans soup
10 ravioli
30 cans corn
10 raisins
47 applesauce
25 13 apples (or other firm produce that won't get smashed in a backpack)

At this moment there are only THREE spots left available for this semester for those who want to pack bags.  If you're hoping to do that with your family, now is the time to grab a spot!

We NEED you!

One of the great things about serving God is you never ever get bored!  This begins our third year serving the kids at John Weldon Elementary and we are so grateful that we are able to do this.  After a couple of years, a lot of bugs have been worked out of the process and by the end of last school year, operations were pretty smooth week after week.  We even served about the same number of kids both our first and second years but there's a quote I once heard:  "The only constant is change."  Well, that's true for us this year too!

We learned this week that our numbers for Bear Necessities have gone up this year quite a bit.  In fact, they have nearly doubled... yes, DOUBLED.  Currently, we have 44 students signed up to be served and expect a few more to come in over the next week or so.  The last two years we have served right around 25 most every week.  With the numbers where they are today, we are planning to serve 50 kids this next week.  It might sound like a dauntingly big number but one thing is for sure; God is BIGGER!

If you've served or donated in the past, we still need you so much!  If you have not served or donated in the past, we definitely need you now!  If you have been a little nervous to tell others about Bear Necessities and how they can help these kids, NOW is the time to do it!  God allows every one of us to work together to serve others just like Jesus did and that is what Bear Necessities has always been about!

So, without further delay, the following is what we need THIS WEEK:

19 14            7 peanut butter
14 6 ritz cracker sleeves
22 19          12 cans green beans
20 4 fruit cups
16 applesauce
2 individual snack sized bags of cheez its
44 35          7 apples

If next week comes and goes and there are not 50 kids signed up... if we land somewhere below that, we will adjust our numbers at that time but we want to be prepared for whatever number God brings to us.

The volunteer sign-up is also ready for you and can be accessed at the link below:

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0F4AAEAA22A64-20122013

Volunteers are absolutely VITAL to this community so please, sign yourself and your kids up to come pack or deliver the bags! 

Remember that donations are brought to 118 Wimbledon Ct., O'Fallon, MO 63368 and left in the tub on the front porch. 

If you are new to this community or if you just have a question, please feel free to comment below and let us know. 

Back to School 2013!

Well, that went by quick!  Time seems to fly by no matter what season it is.  Each season is so much fun with kids.  This year begins our third year supporting and loving on the kids at John Weldon.  The volunteer schedule will be up within the next week so look for a post on that coming soon. 

While we haven't received exact numbers from the school on how many kids will be participating in Bear Necessities, we are expecting similar numbers to the last two years.  With that, the following is what we will need to get through the next couple of weeks:

62 individual cereal boxes
40 peanut butter (18 oz size please)
27 ritz cracker sleeves
66 easy mac envelopes
40 cans soup
40 green beans
40 corn
38 fruit cups
64 applesauce
35 raisins
17 bags cheez its (snack size)
20 pudding cups
80 apples

Please pass this list on to anyone you know that might have a heart for helping kids!  If anyone has any questions about the program, please comment and we'll get back to you ASAp!

This week's needs

Bear Necessities still needs by 7/15
:

7 cereal
2 soup
22 easy Mac envelopes
6 fruit cups
14 applesauce


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Why we give

Did you know that St. Louis Bread Co has a program that allows you to pay more for some meals and they will use that extra to help feed those that don't have enough?  My husband says they've been doing it for a while but I didn't know about it until I read one of those little things they put on the tables while we were there for lunch.  On the little paper tent, it informed the reader (reminded me) that approximately one in six people IN OUR COUNTRY are struggling with hunger.  My heart hurt when I read it and I wondered again how many faces I see each week that are a part of that "one." Oh, how i wish it were none!

Last week I read a blog that reminded me of why Bear Necessities began.  It began because of hunger.  The crazy thing is that it isn't even the kind of hunger that most people think of when they first hear about what we do.  Yes, we provide food for kids every single week and that is clearly about their physical hunger but the author of this blog, Ann Voskamp, was talking about another hunger that we all have... the hunger to bring something... some kind of offering to God.  She spoke about the widow in Luke 21 who brought a meager two copper coins and lovingly placed them in the temple treasury and how Jesus said that she'd put in more than anyone because she gave all she had.  Ann spoke of listening to a teacher from Compassion teaching some children in Uganda that they, too, can give to God and that they didn't have to wait until they had much to give and how the giving is what made them rich. 

I know from talking with some of you that some of you are not what the rest of the world would call "rich" and yet, you give.  Week after week, you give.  Some of you have confessed that you don't know why you feel compelled to give but you do... week after week.  I truly believe that it is to meet the need of THAT hunger that Ann wrote about, just as much as the physical hunger of the children, for which God called Bear Necessities into existence. 

Thank you for joining me and bringing our offerings together!



Bags will go home again on July 2 and we need the following for that to happen:

14 individual cereal boxes
5 peanut butter
20 easy mac envelopes
14 green beans
2 cans soup
9 corn
7 boxes of raisins
6 pudding cups

Finishing June

Just a quick note to let you know what we need by June 17 to send home the remainder of the June bags. 

60 individual cereal boxes
18 cereal bars
15 cans chili
32 easy mac envelopes
8 cans beefaroni
5 sleeves ritz crackers
13 cans tuna
18 cans peas
6  applesauce
6 pudding cups

This will completely cover the rest of the month of June.  A HUGE thank you to everyone who helps make this possible for our families.  I know that some of our donors go without in other ares of life to make sure that these families don't have to go without food.  I pray that God blesses you richly for the beautiful offering you bring!

School's out for summer.... well, almost!

Just a few short days and summer will officially be here for all in the Francis Howell School district.  In the last few months, I've had the opportunity to talk to several people who have children or teach in other school districts recently, as well as work at the school as a Girls on the Run coach and each time I talk to someone or walk through the doors, I become more grateful that God placed us in a neighborhood that allows our kids to attend John Weldon.  We have the most incredible staff.  We really do!

This summer God has given us the privilege to provide for seven children.  What we did last summer and what I feel called to do this summer is to cover these kids for four days instead of just two.  Since our program is anonymous, I have no idea if these kids will attend summer school or not but if their parents are used to them eating school lunch and breakfast five days a week, having them need to eat at home SEVEN can be a taxing financial burden to an already struggling family.  I'd love to be able help lift that burden for them!

To cover the first two weeks, we will need:

5 peanut butter
7 jelly
28 easy mac envelopes
12 green beans
13 corn
28 applesauce
8 pudding cups

LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL

Next week is the last week of school.  I can hardly believe it!  While I haven't gotten numbers yet, we are expecting to provide for families over the summer as well.  If it is anything like last summer, we will have less kids because the parents will be required to pick up the bags on Tuesdays and unfortunately, not everyone is able to do this. I will update everyone on summer as soon as I get more information.

Until then, this list is for everything that will go home next week.  We will be sending the bags on Thursday so that the kids don't have to mess with them on the last day of school.  So we need everything by noon on Wednesday.

54 individual boxes of cereal
8 cans chilli
4 cans peas
19 cans tuna
27 cans soup
14 cans corn
54 applesauce
25 individual bags cheez its
8 nutragrain bars
6 sleeves ritz crackers
8 regular family boxes of Mac n Cheese

This probably seems like a bigger than usual list and it is.  This will cover 2 weekends and will enable us to not pack bags the first week of June as I will be unavailable that week.  I certainly don't want the kids to suffer because I am not available so we are working ahead a little.  I know that it's the end of the school year and schedules and funds can be REALLY tight right now.  If you are able to pick up anything off of the list, you really cannot imagine how much the kids appreciate it!  For that matter, I cannot imagine how much the parents appreciate it too.   Just to be able to feed their kids is such a simple need and it is one that through all God has provided through this loving community they are able to meet!

This week and Mother's Day

Mother's day is just about over and my kids are currently getting themselves ready for bed.  It's a much easier time of day than it was a few years ago.  I can tell them to get themselves ready  and they do.  That's it.  I don't have to do anything else but read a little, snuggle a little, reflect on the day and hear their night time prayers.  It's really pretty sweet.  I keep it simple and flexible.  Some nights there isn't time for reading.  Some nights our snuggles only last a minute or two.   I have found flexibility one of my best friends as a mom and I'm so lucky that my kids accept it as part of their journey too!

This week I saw a "Mother's Creed" that really resonated with my soul because we moms can get a little ridiculous in our expectations of ourselves.  Well, I know I can anyway. I find myself fighting perfectionism or getting starstruck by the mom who bakes each day or an awesome friend who loves to do crafts with her kids and the I start to compare myself and let's be honest, when we compare ourselves with others, we almost never measure up because we compare our worn out, frustrated and exhausted selves with their enthusiastic best.  The only solution is that we just stop comparing ourselves to others, do our best and give ourselves grace on those days we just don't have as much to give.

Anyway, Lisa-Jo Baker does a great job with her "MOther's Creed" and you can read it here:

http://lisajobaker.com/2012/06/encouragement-for-tired-moms/

Now, on to our weekly business... The following is the list of items we need to pack bags this week:

27 cereal bars
21 cans of soup
14 cans corn
24 raisins
2 pudding cups

Thank you to everyone who contributes each week!  Bear Necessities is a community ministry and each week when we have exactly what we need, I am reminded of Matthew 6:24-27 and just how valuable these families are to Jesus in Heaven.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"

This week's list

Just a quick note with what we need this week:

23 peanut butter
25 jelly
26 ritz cracker sleeves
12 cans green beans
18 individual bags cheez its

Next week's needs

A huge thank you to everyone that offered to help out with deliver this week!  Everything has fallen into place perfectly!

For next week we have a pretty big list:

19 individual boxes of cereal
22 cans tuna
23 ritz cracker sleeves
27 cans soup
12 easy mac envelopes
27 cans corn
16 applesauce


Every little bit helps! 

This week's needs

Just five more Fridays until summer break... which also means five more Fridays until I have a middle schooler!  Wow.  Where does the time go? 

Just FYI- we will be continuing to serve at least a portion of our families over the summer just like last year. 

This week we just need a few things:

12 individual cereal boxes
24 cans chili
20 easy mac envelopes

I NEED SOMEONE TO DELIVER BAGS NEXT FRIDAY!!!  My baby sister is getting married in the Smokey Mountains next weekend and I won't be available to deliver the bags.  I would need someone to get them on Wednesday evening and deliver them on Friday morning.  If you can help, please call or text me 314-540-4718.  Thanks!


Also, a huge THANK YOU to the FIT Team for working together with us to get breakfast bags for all our kiddos during MAP testing!

This week's needs

Just a quick note to share what is needed this week:

27 oatmeal bars
24 cans of soup
13 easy mac envelopes
27 cans of corn
27 raisins
58 apples

If you are able to get any of these items, we are so very grateful!  Remember that bags are packed on Wednesday!

Thank you!

Needs for this week

Just a quick post with what we need for this week:

2 peanut butter

13 jelly

7 individual snack bags of cheez its

If you are able to help, we need everything by Wednesday morning!  Thank you!

This week's needs

Somehow, when the kids are out of school for a day or two it throws me all off!  I try to take that time and hang with them and apparently they are so intriguing that I forget everything else! 

We'll pack bags tomorrow right after school but in order to be able to do that, we still need the following:

27 cans tuna
12 cans soup

That's it!  It's not that much but I know it's short notice.  If you can grab a few, please do!  It's so appreciated!!! 

I also wanted to share the sweet group of bag packers we had last week!

Welcome Spring!

Alright, it might not seem very springy out there with the foot of snow we just got but spring break is over, one quarter of this school year remains and I know full well that it's going to fly by!

Thanks to our Saint Charles Elks Lodge, we have almost everything we need for this week.  All that we still need is:

14 cans of corn
4 small boxes of raisins

There are just a few opportunities left to pack or deliver bags with your kids, please check the sign up and see if you can fit one of the available dates into your schedule.  It seriously takes less than 30 minutes and is a great way to show your kids that absolutely everyone is able to help someone!

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0F4AAEAA22A64-20122013

Last few things before spring break...

Next week will be a crazy busy week.  Spring break begins one week from today, which means that we will send bags home with our kids three days next week to cover all three weekends.  I plan for my family to pack bags over the weekend and we'll deliver those on Tuesday but I am also needing someone to pack bags on Monday right after school.  If you would like for your family to do this, please let me know right away BY COMMENTING ON THIS BLOG WITH YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION so that everyone else can know when it is booked.  

To cover these three weekends, we need the following BY TUESDAY:

27 snack size cheez its bags
27 breakfast cereal bars
24 cans of chili
27 pieces of fruit (please choose something like apples, oranges or pears that won't get smashed in backpacks)

We hadn't been sending home fruit each week but with the huge donation we received last week, I believe that it's something we can implement again and will be great for the kids!

Read to the end for our list :)

Are you ready for a slightly longer than normal post?  I promise not to babble on and on but there's some REALLY good news I want to share with you!

It's been just over two years since the first meeting was held with Mrs. Crigler, the John Weldon Elementary Principal, to share with her how God wanted to feed the kids at her school.  I won't go into everything that has happened since then but it's been nothing short of an adventure!

Week after week there have been needs and God has fulfilled them through the people of this community.  Children who wouldn't normally be able to share classroom treats on their birthday have passed out treats to their friends with huge smiles across their faces.  Goodness, I wish I'd kept count of just how many children have been able to serve their community along side their parents purchasing food, packing bags and delivering bags.  From before that very first meeting, Bear Necessities has been not only about the children receiving food but the entire community serving as God created us to do.

A while back we gained a few new donors who do not have children of their own at John Weldon but do have a family connection there.  These are people I would likely have never met had it not been for the divine connecting of the dots.  I was told  a few months ago that they had put in for a grant to purchase and donate food for Bear Necessities.  Mostly, I hid this away in my heart and just prayed about it happening.

Yesterday they arrived.  Real live angels, messengers from God himself.

Dennis, Myself, Mark and Sherry

Of course, they didn't want their picture taken either and every "thank you" was met with one right back.  These three lovely people are just a few of a group from the St. Charles' Elk's Lodge that have kind of taken us under their wing.

This is not all of it.  This is just what I caught as the assembly line of people (Mark, Dennis, Sherry & my family) carried things down to the basement.

A different angle but still not everything.  I kept in my tears while they were here, promising Sherry that I wouldn't get her crying and ruin her make-up but they fell from my eyes after they were gone and I beheld the goodness of God.

"The poor will eat and be satisfied;

those who seek the Lord will praise him---

may your hearts live forever!"

Psalm 22:26

It might sound odd but one of the things that I prayed about this is that it would NOT cover every need for the remainder of the year.  One of the things that i know about myself is that if I let go of a good habit, I'll find a bad habit filling its empty space before I know what happened.  Seeing God provide week after week is at the core of Bear Necessities and so is the service of those who do the shopping and donating.  That ending in one day would be heartbreaking.  It's the bittersweet side of things.  You, the community members who pray for and donate to Bear Necessities are critically important and that is no different now.  As the kids and I put everything on the shelves and the shelves OVERFLOWED, there were a few tiny holes.  Ok, the shelves don't have holes.  They're as full as they can be--- LITERALLY!  But there is an item or two still needed each week for at least the next month and that brought me great joy!

This week we need 11 tuna.  

yea, that's it.  This morning I was reminded of this bit of scripture, which just so happened to be a big part of the inspiration of Bear Necessities:

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

Acts 4:32

Christ Jesus is still a God of miracles and He is working each week in this community and it's nothing short of amazing!

Needs for next week

Here's the list for next week.  Volunteers will arrive Wednesday afternoon to pack so we'll need everything by Wednesday. 

27 cans of chili
26 cans beefaroni
27 cans peas
22 applesauce

Thank you to everyone who is able to donate! 

Needs for 2/13

Here's the list for next week.  Volunteers will arrive Wednesday afternoon to pack so we'll need everything by Wednesday. 

22 cans soup
25 ravioli
25 easy mac envelopes
23 cans corn
26 applesauce
2 pudding cups

Thanks everyone for your continued support!

Next Week's Needs

Just a quick post to get the donation needs up before the weekend.

27 individual cereal boxes
12 peanut butter
2 soy nut butter
19 ritz cracker sleeves
12 easy mac envelopes
14 jelly
24 green beans
27 23 fruit cups
9 applesauce

updated 2/4

Thanks to everyone who helps each week.  Mr. Marian and Mrs. Meyer report that each bag is welcomed by a great big smile from each child!  THAT'S why we do it!

Donations and Packing

Goodness!  I know it's ridiculous that I'm just getting this post up and I apologize!  I know that you all have to get to the store to make this all work and I should have done this before the weekend.  I do hope you'll all forgive me.  

Before I get to the list of what we need, if I may, I'd like to share a story. 
After the devastating tragedy that happened at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Ct, I heard of many people choosing different avenues to make something good come from the awful.  It seems to be what we do as humans when we feel like we've lost control.

I read about one mom who was taking her child to the movies when a young man walked up to her with an envelope that had prepaid tickets and a note letting her know that the good deed (paying for someone else's tickets) was to honor one of the victims at Sandy Hook elementary. 

Locally, a woman found an envelope on her car at the Chesterfield Mall that had a similar note and $26.  Very touched, and not in need herself, she passed the good deed on to someone else and shared with some friends about what had happened and how it had moved her. Those friends were touched and wanting to keep it going, gave each of their adult children's families $26 to share with someone else in need in honor of the lives lost at Sandy Hook.  I'm so grateful that one of those families thought of Bear Necessities and passed the good deed on to us! 

Have you wanted to do something like this to honor the losses?  I do love to hear about beautiful things like this!

OK.  On to the list for this week.  It's a bit longer as we've gone through most of the reserves from Christmas donations. 

22 19 individual cereal boxes
27 11 breakfast bars
23 cans tuna
23 12 ritz cracker sleeves
18 12 cans soup
14 2 easy mac envelopes
18 fruit cups
12 applesauce
11 1 pudding cups
50 bags cheez its

Please remember, you don't have to get everything to help.  EVERY LITTLE BIT comes together to make enough!

Don't forget to sign up to pack bags with your kids too:

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0F4AAEAA22A64-20122013

Donation needs for this week

Well, I don't know about you but I was just THRILLED to get the notice that breakfast will now be offered at John Weldon!  Having been a teacher, I remember kids coming to school without eating first and I don't know about you but I am positive that I don't perform at my best when I'm hungry!  I'm so thankful for the staff at John Weldon putting this in place for our kids!  Whether a family is struggling financially or just had one of those crazy mornings where time for breakfast just wasn't there, each child can now have a filling breakfast before they start the day.

Our list this week is fairly short but remember our new Wednesday deadline this semester:

7 individual cereal boxes
9 cans of peas
2 nutragrain bars
1 bulk box of peanut free snacks (cheez its, fruity pebbles cereal bars, nutragrain bars, etc.)

A HUGE thank you to everyone who helps!

Needs for this week

Days fly by so quickly and I just realized that I hadn't uploaded our list for this coming week.  We will have people packing on Wednesday so this gives us only MONDAY AND TUESAY to receive donations.  Luckily, it's not a super big list.  Anything you can do is a huge help!

UPDATED 1/14 4:30 P.M.

18 6 cans of soup
17 15 cans ravioli
27 25 12 cans corn
13 raisins
2 applesauce
16 pudding

Thanks to everyone who is able to help this week!

I have also added a link to sign up to pack bags to the "FAQ" page.

Welcome 2013

Happy New year!  I hope that everyone had a relaxing and wonderful Christmas break.  We started the break of with a sickie in the house, we didn't travel before as we'd planned and it made for such a relaxing time together as a family... but the break is over and so kids are back to school and that means that our mission is functioning to feed kids again! 

God used your giving hearts last month to provide the bags that will go home with our kids today!  What a blessing it was to not have to count donations this week but know that God had provided in advance.  Looking toward next week, there are a few things that we'll still need.  If you can pick up any of these items, it just takes each person doing a little for us to have enough!

We still need:

9 Peanut Butter
2 Soy nut or Almond Butter
1 Ritz Cracker sleeve
18 jelly (plastic containers please)


Thank you to everyone for your continued commitment to blessing our kids!  May 2013 be an incredibly blessed year and may you experience Jesus in a new and real way through your service to Him!