The Pantry, What a Resource

I was recently reading about well stocked pantry's in the article : Post Pantry Possibilities: Blitz Post from NM .
It is a very well written article and it made me check my cupboards. I live in a 2 bedrooms apt with my fiancee, two step kids, and a very small kitchen but I was very surprised at how much I was able to stockpile over the past few weeks. I have tons of stuff and I figured out after a few seconds of thinking why I had so much stuff, it all came from the food bank. I can not stress how much of a resource this is for people who qualify for it. They give a lot of stuff out in bulk form, most of the stockpile items in my small pantry have come from the oregon food bank. Now I am an advocate of self reliance but these items would be invaluable in a emergency. I have gotten a combined 27 and a half pounds of pastas, grains, and lentils (bean family) from the food bank. I have more canned goods than I can handle and I have enough bakery mix to feed a small army. My freezer is packed with frozen vegetables, seasoned fries, chicken, and fruit ALL IN BULK! Here are some photos.

My pantry

instant desserts 27 and a half pounds of pasta grains and lentils

instant sauces and drink mix's


But being prepared Comes down to more than just food and water. I have recently added 20 match books, a tin of emergency candles, 2 first aid kits, 4 fishing poles and tackle, 15 board games, a huge assortment of survival books, a good amount of field guides for plants and animals in my area, a large amount of do it yourself books and back to basics books, and a wealth of information that pertains to gold and silver deposits on my side of the state because gold will always work better than cash, 13 flashlights with spare bulbs and batteries, road flares, 3 acoustic guitars, assorted camo for the entire family, and tons of camping gear. And my preparing still isnt done. All of the stuff I listed above with the exception of the books and literature I procured from thrift stores for pennies to the dollar. There are resources for preparedness not just costco and cabellas although if you have the money for that it advisable. Point of all this is KEEP YOUR EYES AND EARS OPEN THERE ARE RESOURCES ALL AROUND YOU! You wouldn't want to get caught with you pants down now would you?