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!

Winter, birthday bags, next week, sign ups and news

I've got to say, I'm not really a big fan of winter... don't get me wrong, I like one or two big snows so that we can take the kids sledding but beyond that, the cold is just not for me.  I get cold and I cannot get warm!  I don't think I've had full feeling in my fingertips since November!  Tonight, however, we are supposed to get an icy mix and I'm so totally excited to hunker down tonight with the fam totally unable to go anywhere because the roads "might" be bad.  Sometimes, after a long crazy week, a good night of freezing rain is just what I need!  (Dear Lord, please let it all be melted by morning!)

Bear Necessities has continued to serve 41 kids in January and gave five of those kids birthday bags.  We have six birthday bags that need to go home in February and we need large gift bags and peanut free classroom treats for those kids.  Each student has 22-24 kids in their class.  The total number of treats we need is 133.  Remember that everything has to be individually wrapped, with the ingredients on it and on the peanut free list.  

Some of the items from the Student Council food drive are finally starting to run out.  The following items are needed for next week:

14 peanut butter (18 oz)

37 Ritz cracker sleeves

15 fruit cups

20 applesauce

40 apples

Lastly, all of the packing opportunities have been filled but if you are available on Friday mornings to drop off the bags at John Weldon, please sign up:

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

Ok.  Maybe this is actually last, we have been contacted by Francis Howell Middle school to begin serving the students there.  We don't know how many kids we will be serving but what I do know is that God will provide for these kids too!  

This week and the SignUp Genius

It's a beautiful day here in Missouri!  I hope everyone has had a chance to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather since you just never know the next time we'll have freezing temps again!

We are back into full swing and ready for volunteers and donations for this semester.  Looking forward, our donation list will be shorter for the next month or so and then will go back to our more normal lists unless something unexpected happens.  Please be sure to check back in as things from the Student Council Food Drive will begin to run out soon.

This week we will need:

30 cans of soup
41 easy mac envelopes

The SignUp Genius is also ready to go and can be viewed here:

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

Last semester it filled up VERY quickly so don't delay if you're hoping to be able to bring your kiddos to help out!

God bless!

Welcome 2014

One of these days these kids will go back to school!  Just kidding but it has been a nice long break for sure.  There are just a few things that we need to be able to provide for the children this week:

34 peanut butter
21 Ritz cracker sleeves
30 easy mac envelopes

Hopefully the grocery stores will have these items restocked after Snowmageddon this week! 

I also wanted to update everyone on the amazing things that God did through this community the last two months.  Sixteen families received Thanksgiving dinner, forty-one children were blessed with stockings filled with goodies and twenty-one were given what they wanted for Christmas!  That is all in addition to receiving food each weekend so that not one child goes hungry!  It really is amazing what God can do with a group of willing people! 

Thank you to each person who has been a part of this ministry in 2013, I look forward to all that God will do in 2014! 

Look for the packing sign up to go up later this week.

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!