Today I will begin the Food Stamp Challenge, which means I have a $21 budget for the entire week.  Daphne is also doing this, so we have the advantage of a combined budget of $42. This was an optional homework assignment for her, but I was really insistent that we take the challenge. I hope our actions will help us bring some awareness about poverty and hunger to the people in our immediate life–if not beyond.

We will be video documenting our experience as well as blogging about it, here.

My impression, so far, Day 1, after a bowl of oatmeal, is that this won’t be horrible.  I don’t rely on meat, milk, and bread as part of my diet. I’ve been exposed to the world of bulk grains and beans. My concern is that I won’t get the amount of produce, fruits and veggies that are a big part of my diet.

We are putting together our menu today and getting ready to shop. So far my biggest compromise is coffee. I will be purchasing schwaggy, low grade octane–something like Chock Full O’Nuts I suppose. Since we are doing this for just one week, there is a vacuum.   If this was our lifestyle, we would likely have certain staples around in bulk.

However, as noted in a Sentinel article about the journalist who took the challenge, “the challenges of timing - and of the very adequacy of benefit - are quite real for actual food stamp recipients.”

Daphne and I live below poverty level, without a doubt. Food just happens to be one of the things a large portion of our income goes toward. We don’t eat out very often, because we are better cooks than most people. We don’t buy a lot of consumer crap, by choice.

Rules:

  1. Can not attend any free luncheons, brunches, potlucks or take free food from your family. (does this imply that poor people are not social?)
  2. Can not use any foods already in the house. The exceptions are spices and condiments.

Her daughter will be exempt from this, as we only have her 3 nights this week anyhow.

For other reading, please consult the blog which chronicles House Representatives taking the challenge. Wanna join us?
http://foodstampchallenge.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/05/index.html

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/04/20/oregon_gov_joining_food_stamp_project/
Cheers!