This week's Needs

First I want to thank everyone who helped so much when I needed to leave so unexpectedly.  My stepmom has been fighting cancer for over four years and after several strokes and a heart attack, I just had to fly out to be with her and and my two sisters for a while.  She is still fighting the battle but it is definitely a tough one.  God has granted us many miracles over these four years as the doctors have told us over and over against that she just had a short time to live and yet, she got to see my youngest sister get married last year and hold her grandkids some more.  Only God knows the number of our days but we are grateful for every day he gives us.

Beth, Julie, Joan, Angie and my darling husband-  Thank you so much!

There are just a few weeks left in school and this week we only need a few things each week.  Here is the list for this week:

30 cans of tuna
25 sleeves of Ritz crackers
15 Easy Mac envelopes
30 apples

If you are able to help, it is always appreciated!

Needs and Unexpected Needs

I am leaving town today unexpectedly for a family emergency.  Everything is taken care of for this week but I will need someone to deliver the bags next Friday in case I am not back or have just returned.  If you can do that, please text me 314-540-4718.  Be sure to tell me who you are in the text in case my phone has deleted some of my contacts.  :)

The following is needed for next week:

10 cans of chili
45 cans beefaroni
45 apples

There is no longer a tub on the front porch as the last one broke and I have not gotten a replacement yet.  Please feel free to set items on the porch and my family will bring them in to the basement pantry.

I am thankful that at times of unexpected emergency, there is always the confidence that God will take care of the details.  We are His and so is Bear Necessities.  What a privilege it is to serve a loving Lord!

Numbers and needs

We are back up to 41 students each week.  These kids are at John Weldon Elementary, of course, and at Francis Howell Middle School.  We've been serving kids at the middle school for two weeks and everything seems to be working quite smoothly.  We are so grateful to the staff there that has embraced our effort to make sure that there are no hungry kids at our schools!

This week, we will need the following items:

18 ravioli
41 cans corn
10 easy mac envelopes
41 apples

Please be sure to share this with anyone else who might want to help!

Always enough...

Some of you have been waiting months to hear this.  Some of you began asking about it and praying for it a couple of years ago.  This week we began serving students at Francis Howell Middle School.  Yay!  We currently have just a handful of kids that we are serving there and while I sure wish they were the only ones in need at the school, I know that God will provide even if the number grows.  As students move, parents get new jobs and other changes in circumstances that we don't always know the details about, our numbers change throughout the year.  At times they've grown to a point that i kind of held my breath as I prayed but no matter what the number has been, God has been faithful.  This ministry has been about showing the love of Christ in the community from the very beginning and since love has always been the heart of God, he is making himself known in these communities.  

My family has been in this community for almost twelve years and I can say that I have seen God moving throughout the people here in recent years and it is so fun to witness.  Each year there are new volunteers and donors for Bear Necessities and my prayer each week is that each and every person who participates knows how recklessly they are loved by God.  

This week God has met most of the needs we have in advance but there are two items that are still needed:

36 cans of corn

36 apples

If you are able to give toward this ministry, please give as you can.  As each person give what he/she can, there will be enough.  

"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. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet,and it was distributed to anyone who had need."   Acts 4:32-35

Our Donation Needs This Week

What a glorious spring break!  According to Facebook, many of you saw the beach and a few even escaped to snowy mountaintops to ski, while the rest of us ventured out and explored the adventures here in the good ole 'Lou. No matter where we were, it seemed like everyone had a good time. Today is the first day back to school after spring break and the weathermen are predicting.... snow.  Well, according to weather.com, there is a 60% chance of snow but according to my calculations, the weathermen are wrong about 50% of the time and if I take half of 60% I get 30% so it's not going to snow. Sure, there's nothing scientifically accurate about that nonsense but it's getting me through this morning with a smile on my face.  ;)

We only need a couple of things to be able to serve the kids at John Weldon this week and here's the list:

25 Ritz cracker sleeves
6 Easy Mac Envelopes
35 cheez its snack size bags

If you're able to help, please do and if you're not, please pray and pass on the need to your friends in case they can help!

Have a blessed day!

Updates and Donation Needs for this week

It's been like forever but that's because it's been so incredibly busy with new transitions!  So, what's been happening...


John Weldon FINALLY got to celebrate their 100th day of school as much as Old Man Winter tried to fight them on it.  The amazing first and second graders at school went over the top to bring in 100 items for Bear Necessities!  I got the privilege of talking with the first graders about their contribution to the community.  Aren't they darling?!

We were also privileged to receive another grant funded donation from our friends at the Saint Charles Elks' Lodge.  I didn't get a photo of them because I'm sure the grown men who brought the THREE TRUCK FULLS would have frowned at me if I'd asked and they'd already made soooo many trips carrying up all the food they brought!  God uses this group of lovely people in such a mighty way and I'm so grateful for them!

Last week I had the privilege of meeting with the principal at Union High School in the Francis Howell  School District.  My darling friend has been substituting there and had mentioned what we've been doing. Kandy Worley is the principal there and such an incredible lady!  She has this great big heart to help her students achieve greatness and we all know that can hardly happen when there's a grumbly in their tumbly... (Winnie the Pooh, right?) So, we were brainstorming how we can solve the problem that she sees in her school with hunger.  We came up with a tentative plan that we thought would work and then out of no where, God just took over!  The Lord sent Harvester Church in Saint Peters to provide for Union High School.  When I left the meeting with Dr. Worley, we had lists of things to do to make it all happen and in one phone call, we checked of every item!  It's just incredible to see Christ's church throughout the community loving as Christ did!

In other exciting news for our community, we will be serving at Francis Howell Middle school very soon.  Dr. Huff recently met with his BIG (Building Improvement Group) and will be giving us numbers very soon for us to make sure that there are no hungry kids there either!

I'm not sure yet how the logistics of FHMS will work but I promise to give updates and ask for help as soon as I know!

Now, to end this very long post, we do need a couple of things this week for John Weldon:

15 Ritz cracker sleeves
15 Easy Mac envelopes

The plastic tub on the porch got blown away in the wind and shattered earlier this month so I'll be replacing it today.  Thanks, in advance, for everyone who works together to be Christ's church in this community!

Next week

A this point I'm not totally sure what we will need for next week.  The first and second graders at John Weldon celebrated the 100th day of school today FINALLY and to commemorate the day they each brought in a can of food for Bear Necessities.  I'll be picking everything up on Monday so expect an update then.  We will, for sure, need 35 apples but I can't be sure of anything else.

Have a blessed weekend!