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Weekly meals for elderly neighbors in Shinjuku

Help keep a free food pantry open for elderly neighbors in Shinjuku.

🇯🇵 160-0282, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan713 views
Shinji Takeshi Kaneko
Email verified
Shinjuku
Since 2020, our volunteer team has run Bread & Beans Kitchen every Sunday from the back of the parish hall. We started with 19 families, and now we feed 356 each week. Donations have dropped by about 42% this harvest gap, while the line has grown every single week. We rely on volunteers - 6 of us - and keep no salaries or overhead. I buy staples at wholesale prices at the Shinjuku market and keep every receipt. Each $35 feeds a family of four for a week. I'll post the weekly shopping receipts and a photo of the shelves each Sunday. Where the $2,550 goes: • Rice, beans, flour and oil (wholesale): $1,350 • Fresh vegetables and fruit: $290 • Baby formula and diapers: $570 • Refrigeration and electricity: $340 Thank you so much. - Shinji

Updates from Shinji

  1. Quick update: $345 raised so far (14%). we've started the first stage. Receipts coming as soon as I have them.

  • Aster Meseret Ayele 🇪🇹 · $30
  • Olivia C. Jennings 🇬🇧 · $200
  • Scarlett Holland 🇺🇸 · $7

    “Best of luck. From Springfield with love. - Springfield”

  • Nirali D. Jain 🇮🇳 · $10

    “Rooting for you. Hope the April deadline works out. - Coimbatore”

  • Corazon F. Francisco 🇵🇭 · $100

    “Good luck. My mother told me about this one. - Quezon City”

  • Barasa Lyimo 🇹🇿 · $20
  • Mansi E. Desai 🇮🇳 · $5
  • Naveen S. Garg 🇮🇳 · $75
  • Jae-hyun Shim 🇰🇷 · $10

    “Keep your head up. Thought of Shinji all day after reading this.”

  • Sebastião Moraes 🇧🇷 · $20
  • Seo-jun Joon-woo Park 🇰🇷 · $50
  • Leonardo H. Stokes 🇺🇸 · $15
  • Anjali Shrijana Adhikari 🇳🇵 · $250

    “Happy to help. My father told me about this one. - Lalitpur”

Reviews

2.2(5 reviews)

Only people who gave to this need, or whose offer to help was accepted, can review it.

  • Graciela J. Acosta🇺🇸Verified donor
    Restored my faith in humanity

    Couldn't have asked for better support. They listened carefully, understood my situation deeply, and provided thoughtful advice that actually worked. Thank you so much.

  • Landon B. Rios🇺🇸Verified donor
    Delivered on promises

    I was going through a tough time and this person's support was invaluable. They didn't judge, just helped. That kind of genuine compassion is rare these days.

  • Wendy B. Johnston🇬🇧Verified donor
    Would recommend to anyone

    Couldn't have asked for better support. They listened carefully, understood my situation deeply, and provided thoughtful advice that actually worked. Thank you so much.

  • Graciela H. Flores🇪🇸Verified donor
    Outstanding person

    The support I received was beyond what I expected. Not only did they help with the immediate need, but they also provided guidance for long-term solutions. I'm forever grateful.

  • Rahim Liton Majumder🇮🇳Verified donor
    Genuine person with a big heart

    I can't speak highly enough about this helper. They were available when I needed them, supportive when I felt lost, and practical in their solutions.

Questions & comments

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  • Riley WalshQuestion

    Is there anything that isn't money that would help Shinji?

    • Thank you. If you're in Shinjuku I'll say if something practical comes up. For now sharing this is great.

  • Take care, Shinji. Hope this works out for you. We had a similar scare last year, I know what it feels like. Love from Noida.

    • sending strength. Your post was clear and honest. My neighbor in Nuremberg donated after I showed her your page. All the best

      • Wishing you the best, Shinji. More neighborhoods should do this. The breakdown of costs made it easy to trust. Love from Cox's Bazar

        • Pavel Nazrul BhuiyanPhoto verified

          Take care. Hope you get there. Read this on the bus and kept thinking about it all day. Blessings

          • Sending love. I hope things turn around soon. Don't give up. Love from Saint-Étienne.

            $792 raised of $2,550

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