Thank You For Participating in the Challenge

The Ohio Community Action Food Stamp Challenge is now over and we'd like to thank everyone who participated in the Challenge. I'm sure everyone is happy to be back to their normal routine, able to eat the foods they love, but we hope that you learned something and can better appreciate those more satisfying meals. I know I learned a lot about how much things cost and am more aware of the struggles low-income people face. I can definitely better appreciate what I have and so can several of our bloggers. Below are a few comments from participants about what they learned:

•  I hope the challenge will increase my awareness that people are hungry all the time, before and after the holidays when many give food baskets. Often we describe ours as the world’s richest nation. But something’s wrong when we wallow in our wealth and arrogantly bypass others who want what we take for granted: a good meal every day. 

•  But even though I've had an attitude adjustment, I know there is food in the house I'm chosing not to eat for these five days. On Saturday I go back to my life, with all the food I can eat. That doesn't seem fair, doesn't feel right.

• As I engaged in turmoil about using salt, I thought that perhaps high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes are so rampant in poorer communities because those residents consume a lot of foods with high amounts of sodium, sugar, and fat. After all, the money is simply not there for them to buy lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, which are more expensive.

• Though not this week, I spend more than $23 a week for fresh foods. So now, if the grocery budget lets you get more food but that is less healthful, what are you going to do? Could it be that poor people’s grocery carts are filled with foods that are high in fat, salt, cholesterol, and sugar because those foods are more affordable and help ward off feelings of emptiness and hunger? I hope the answer to those questions helps the more fortunate empathize with what  poor cope with regularly.

• But what do people living on SNAP hope for? They hope to make it through the day making sure their families don’t go hungry. They hope to someday say yes to their children when they ask for that treat at the grocery store that’s just a bit too pricey. They hope to make it through the grocery line without the fear that their SNAP card will be denied. They hope to someday leave food stamps behind. And as this challenge comes to a close, I’m unsure of what I’ve learned from it. I’ve learned the obvious: that this is no way to live, that things need to change. But what can be done about it? Do we aim to change food stamps or the people who use them? Is it a bit of both? Is minimum wage the problem? Every time I think I have an answer, more questions pop up. If anything can be taken from following this week's Food Stamp Challenge, I hope it's an understanding that hunger is a very real problem for hardworking people across the country. And I hope that understanding comes with a sense of urgency to fix it.

• I think it would be challenging to do this week after week but, assuming you have the ability to stop at a few different stores, you can plan your meals around what’s on sale, what might stretch the farthest.
  I’m thrifty as a rule, but I’m thankful I don’t have to be every day.

• I've been thinking a lot these past five days not just about the food I couldn't eat, but about how grateful I should be about the plenty that's always been in my life. And why I've been so blessed. If I were born to a family in a public housing project in Toledo, I probably would have grown up hungry most of the time. If I were born to a family in Africa or Asia, I may not have grown up at all. But, by luck or fate, I was born into a family of plenty in a community of plenty in a country of plenty.
  Living for five days on $23 is possible, but for me just a little inconvenient. Tomorrow I go back to my life of plenty. Life is not fair when so many have so little in a land of such plenty.

• People who are poor cannot cheat. If it’s not in the budget to buy, there’s none ... After that experience, I thought about the working poor whose jobs often require labor. With no money for healthy snacks, no wonder people are attracted to cheaper snacks heavily laden with sodium, sugar, and carbs.... I hope policy makers paid attention to reports on the challenge. Food budgets must be increased for those who need assistance. I don’t know the answers as to how that should happen, but as my colleagues and I have shown, it has been tough to stay on the budget and think of much else besides food.

• I stayed within forty cents of the budget and I was able to feed myself for five days. I also learned a lot and gained just a little insight into the lives of people who use food stamps. ... This is yet another example of how difficult it is to manage inside the confines of a budget for people relying on food stamps for most of their food budget.

• In these five short days I have gotten a good sense of how exhausting and difficult it is to manage food on a very tight budget. While I think I have managed my budget and meal planning successfully, it hasn’t been easy or all that much fun. My choices are limited, there is no wiggle room, and if I make a choice I don’t like, tough. And I have minimal obstacles. I have my own transportation so I have shopping options. I have a regular work schedule. I don’t have kids. And, I have a kitchen full of cooking tools, like a Crock-Pot and reliable refrigeration to store leftovers. So, yes it is just an exercise and it is always easy to judge other people’s decisions, but going through this has been more than an exercise for me. While I supported programs like SNAP before the challenge, I have a much different understanding now of why they matter.

• Overall, the challenge has opened my eyes about all the time that it takes planning meals when you are on a limited budget. I could no longer grab and go. I had to be thinking about the bigger picture – how is this meal choice going to affect the rest of my options for the week?

• I feel deeply for those who are forced to rely on food stamps and have nothing to reach for when they are hungry and have little choice in foods. I can only think of the games their mind’s play with them.

• I think about the day a low-income family finally overcomes their major hurdles, are stable, and each day is getting better for them. The day they can go to the store and buy the food that is needed, as well as some that is wanted. ... There is a difference between providing food for someone for a short timeframe until they are on their feet and punishing them because they need taxpayer help with food for a short time. The current system for food stamps is out of date. It doesn’t feed people, it only allows them minimal food enough to stay alive. After this week I truly know the difference. 

Lisa with Northwoods Final Thoughts

Here is the question I’ve been asked the most.

Were you able to eat on the food stamp budget?

The short answer is, yes. I stayed within forty cents of the budget and I was able to feed myself for five days. I also learned a lot and gained just a little insight into the lives of people who use food stamps.
But, I also made a lot of mistakes. I spent my whole budget at the very beginning so I had no room to make adjustments. I selected food based on assumptions about what was economical without considering any other variables. I bought rice and beans, pasta, and frozen vegetables – all good choices. But, I skimped on fresh produce because it seemed expensive. I made a pot of rice and beans, which was good for more meals than the two or three I planned. Instead of the pasta and the English muffins, I could have bought a head of lettuce and a few carrots and gotten several salads. Oatmeal for breakfast each day was great, and very affordable, so that was my best choice. But, I didn’t use all of the pasta, the rice, or the bread, so these could be available into the next weeks. If I were managing a month-long budget, I could buy rice during week one and pasta during week two.

Bottom line, I may have outsmarted myself by choosing a number for shelf-stable staple items and not giving myself any fresh fruit. I was out of balance in that regard. This is yet another example of how difficult it is to manage inside the confines of a budget for people relying on food stamps for most of their food budget.

Dan with Northwood's Final Thoughts

Today’s lunch: Instant mashed potatoes…blech! I tried my best to spice them up with salt, pepper, and some household seasonings but still…blech! I’d trade the whole dry, flakey box for my jelly sandwich lunch from day three.

At least it’s the last day of the challenge for me (I am running the half marathon on Saturday, so I started the challenge Sunday in order to carb-load tomorrow), allowing me to use my remaining $1.63. I went with a coworker to Potbelly’s for lunch and purchased a cookie for $1.25. It was amazing. I was asked this morning my best meal of the week, and that cookie was it by far.

Overall, the challenge has opened my eyes about all the time that it takes planning meals when you are on a limited budget. I could no longer grab and go. I had to be thinking about the bigger picture – how is this meal choice going to affect the rest of my options for the week?
I have also been overwhelmed by all of my friends and coworkers who wanted to give or buy me food. They all wanted to help me get through this and I have appreciated everyone’s support, questions, comments, and suggestions!

Helping People Changing Lives by Lorie with OACAA

As this is the last day of the Challenge, I think about the fact that I get to eat “real food” now, which makes me reflect on the week . What came to my mind is the motto of Community Action:   “Helping People Changing Lives.” 

The local agencies work so hard to provide programs, services, and partnerships with other organizations to clear a road to help low-income individuals and families travel to self-sufficiency.  It’s not a fast road or an easy road. I think about the day a low-income family finally overcomes their major hurdles, are stable, and each day is getting better for them. The day they can go to the store and buy the food that is needed, as well as some that is wanted. The day they can pay their living expenses without the help of social services and know that they are not on the edge of their pay check, and the day they can take their family to an extra activity that doesn’t leave them having to cut something somewhere else in their budgets. 

There is a difference between providing food for someone for a short timeframe until they are on their feet and punishing them because they need taxpayer help with food for a short time. The current system for food stamps is out of date. It doesn’t feed people, it only allows them minimal food enough to stay alive. After this week I truly know the difference. The food I could afford on the $23 has left me feeling sick. I rarely have headaches and I have had two this week. In general I feel irritable and I want some different food so badly I think about it constantly. I can’t imagine feeling like this and trying to get an education, find work, or deal with major issues in my life. It’s time to fund programs so that people can truly get to self-sufficiency and live comfortable while they strive for that goal.

Test: Food Stamp Budget Not Filling

Check out the Columbus Dispatch article on Food Stamp Challenge participants Dan and Lisa's experience http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/05/04/test-food-stamp-budget-not-filling.html

An Artificial Challenge? By Lisa with Northwoods

A lot of people have commented that the Food Stamp Challenge is an artificial one. I have heard more than one person (in a blog or in person) express concern that somehow participating in the Challenge makes light of the actual experience of people who use food stamp benefits. I can see both of these positions. I agree that it is artificial; I can go back to my eating habits when it is over. Someone taking the challenge who is able to manage their five-day budget might come to the conclusion that it really isn’t that hard. But my experience does not support that position.

In these five short days I have gotten a good sense of how exhausting and difficult it is to manage food on a very tight budget. While I think I have managed my budget and meal planning successfully, it hasn’t been easy or all that much fun. My choices are limited, there is no wiggle room, and if I make a choice I don’t like, tough. And I have minimal obstacles. I have my own transportation so I have shopping options. I have a regular work schedule. I don’t have kids. And, I have a kitchen full of cooking tools, like a Crock-Pot and reliable refrigeration to store leftovers.

So, yes it is just an exercise and it is always easy to judge other people’s decisions, but going through this has been more than an exercise for me. While I supported programs like SNAP before the Challenge, I have a much different understanding now of why they matter.

Confession of an Absent Mind by Lorie with OACAA

It always amazes me how the mind works. Yesterday was confession day at the office. We
sat together and the four of us confessed if we had cheated on the Food Stamp Challenge.  Three of us had, but not willfully. All three had cheated and didn’t know we had until our brains sent us a scream message. 

I will start with mine.  My father and I sit in recliners and there is an end table between us. The table normally has five things on it. A stack of magazines on antique tractors (my fathers), tv remote(mostly mine),  a bottle of water (mine), and two containers - one with candy (my fathers) and one with cashews (my fathers). The first two days of the Challenge the candy jar was there with mini Reese Cups in it (since my brother had bought a bag of Reese Cups the size of Ohio we have been eating them forever, so they didn’t bother me). The other can of cashews was not there, so again no temptation. But on the evening of the third day, the can was back. My brother, father, and I had a busy evening and had finally sat down to watch a sitcom. Without thought or intent of planning I picked up the can, opened the lid, and ate six cashews before my mind told me, “STOP! You can’t.” I was so mad at myself. 

My other coworkers' stories are similar. One had gotten home from work and was starving and just reached out and grabbed a handful of Fruit Loops from the box that was sitting on the counter not even thinking that she could not do that. The third coworker said that they had Reese’s peanut butter eggs that they had bought after Easter laying in a bowl and he walked past grabbed it, opened it, and took a bit without even realizing what he had done. The only one that had not cheated, well we are looking to set her up. 

With kidding aside, I feel deeply for those who are forced to rely on food stamps and have nothing to reach for when they are hungry and have little choice in foods. I can only think of the games their mind’s play with them.

Energy Crash by Dan with Northwoods

Thunk – the metaphorical sound of my head hitting the keyboard. That’s what I felt like yesterday. The combination of a not-too-exciting work project, no coffee, and running out of Cocoa Puffs snacks had my eyes glazing over and created a struggle for me to focus. This whole challenge had not been too hard until yesterday, but it finally hit.

Normally, I’ll get up and get a snack or refill my coffee cup, but I couldn’t afford (and wasn’t allowed) to do that yesterday. I tried to push through but it was difficult. I’ve found it to be true that a small snack can provide a big mental boost. I took a few walks around the office and tried to get my blood flowing a little better, but the relief didn’t last too long.

I ended up having a coworker “accidentally” drop a few pretzels on the table and offered to save them from the trash (thanks, Colleen!). So yeah, I technically cheated a little bit. But I didn’t want those pretzels to go to waste!

A Few Days In By Lisa with Northwoods

I started the challenge over the weekend, so I am a few days in so far. The biggest change for me is the need to plan meals and cook the food. Usually, if there is nothing handy in the fridge (Read: leftovers from dinner out the night before), I just go out. Now, I have to make dinner and then figure out lunch too. My plan involves making filling dinners of more than one serving and using the leftovers as lunch.

 

Monday I had to drive to a meeting a couple of hours away. When I was thinking about what to plan for the week, I did not think about a “travel lunch.” I also hadn’t left myself any wiggle room for changing my mind or dealing with contingencies. So, what was I to do? I couldn’t really take leftovers since I don’t have a microwave in my car, and it might be messy. I did have hard-boiled eggs and some English muffins. So, I made an egg sandwich (not egg salad, just egg) and cut up a few stalks of celery. It worked out just great. It was filling and easy to pack and eat while travelling. The bonus was I had extra time to find a small park near my meeting and enjoyed sitting at a picnic table while I ate. I would not have taken the time for that if I had run through a drive-through as I normally do.

After a few days it still feels like I have plenty of food, not a great selection (more on the choices I wish I’d made in a later post), but plenty of food. One thing I noticed is I have a lot more anxiety about wasting food, or “losing” it. Usually I would grumble when food was wasted, but now I actively worry about it before it might happen. Dan almost having jars break would have been terrible!

When I made a rice and beans dish, I used a recipe I had never used before. I blithely started the process in the Crock-Pot, and then about an hour later I walked by and noticed that the spices were still lying on top. Should I have stirred them in? I started to worry that I wouldn’t like the meal and began to fret that I should not have used an untried recipe because if it did not turn out, I would have wasted the food I had planned for about three meals… It turned out very well, if I must say so myself, but not before I worried myself into a minor frenzy.

Popcorn: It's a Big POP, By Lorie at OACAA

As my friends would tell you: “Lorie like’s snacks!!!” My favorite is sweet snacks, but as you might have found out when you went shopping, sugar costs. I managed to get some sugar in my diet this week because me without sugar is not a pretty sight. I knew the biggest bang for my buck would be in the salty snack aisle. So I headed my cart down the aisle with the wall of salty delights on both sides looking for my salty snack that would last me five days, maximize the portion,  and cost me under $3. 

I looked at the chips and although they had chips in the price range the portion size was small. The bag was as long as my arm from the tips of my fingers to the bend in my elbow, but the chips inside the bag only filled a 1/3 of it. So chips where crossed off my list. I looked at pretzels. Depending on the style of pretzel you buy you can get a large portion within the cost limits and it would cover the whole five days, but the problem with pretzels are it’s the same flavor over and over. They are dry and leave you thirsty. Yes, I could dip them in mustard ( I do like that), I just have to be in the mood for pretzels in order to eat them and I don’t think I could make that mood last five days. Nuts were next in the aisle, most of the time healthy, but they are pricey. You get a very small portion, and they would not last all five days. At the end of the aisle was a beacon of light in my hunt for the salty snack…POPCORN!!!!! I got the store brand. It had six 3.5oz bags for under $3. I got butterific,  but if you're not into butter it came in different flavors from plain to cheese to kettle corn. It was already portioned out, the cost was great, lots of flavor, and best of all this week in the evenings when I would start to feel that hunger feeling I would pop it up. I could share it with my dad, which I could not with any other item. I could eat up and feel full.  A nice way to go to bed at night, especially since so many do not get that option.

The Challenge Experience for Lorie with OACAA

I am starting my the third day of the Ohio Community Action Food Stamp Challenge.  When I started, I went to a local super market and laid out a game plan. Although I look through the ads each week to make a grocery list, I am not the one who does the shopping normally at my home. 

I guess I had a little sticker shock at first as I tried to use some of the ideas that I had planned out from the memories of my childhood that I had written about before. Hamburger is expensive per pound, in fact most meats were. 

So I found myself in the frozen food aisle looking at the frozen dinners that were $1.09 each. I went with a brand that if you bought it, it had a code on it to key into a website where the company would donate a free frozen dinner to a food pantry for children. I said to myself, "Yay, win/win! I pay $10.90 out of my $23.00 and I get 10 meals to cover lunch and dinner for the 5 days of the Challenge and a child gets a free meal at a pantry." So I chose a variety of frozen dinners. I am three days in and although the food is edible and has a flavor, it’s not really overly filling.

So, I am in a one day timeframe (with the other foods I bought) consuming:

• 1,950 Calories (that is under the 2,000 calories that the USDA recommends daily)
• 67 grams of Fat (very high)
• 1 gram of Transfat
• 55 mgs of Cholesterol
• 3,055 mgs of Sodium (I am thirsty)
• 860 mgs of Potassium
• 209 grams of Carbohydrates
• 10 grams of Fiber
• 85 grams of Sugar
• 41 grams of Protein

Yes I made my choices on the food I picked, but it was the choices that afforded me three meals each day and had enough bulk in them to fill me up and make me feel full, but not necessarily satisfied. The fruit punch mix that I chose made me a little sick to my stomach after drinking it the first day, normally I drink water. Most of the foods leave me thirsty. 

My brother, who helps me care for my father, was sitting in front of me with a big salad with all the fixings as I ate my frozen meal and all I wanted to do is switch foods with him. All night long there were commercials for “real” food on TV and most shows had people eating “real” food. It was like when you diet and all you think about is food you can’t have. 

Hunger on the Rise in Ohio

In Ohio, 2,083,240 people-or 18.1 percent of the population-are food insecure, meaning that they don't always know where they will find their next meal, according to new research released April 27 by Feeding America, the nation's largest hunger-relief organization.

The findings result from Feeding America's "Map the Meal Gap" study, which provides estimates on the rate of food insecurity at the county and congressional district level for the entire nation.

"Food insecurity is one of the leading public health challenges in the United States due to the physical and mental damage and behavioral problems it may cause," said Dr. Craig Gundersen, Associate Professor of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois, a member of Feeding America's Technical Advisory Group, and the lead researcher of the "Map the Meal Gap" study. "By ascertaining the extent and distribution of food insecurity at the county and congressional district level, we can better direct our resources to alleviating this serious problem."

"We believe that no one in our state should go hungry or try to survive without access to adequate amounts of healthy, nutritious food," said Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director at the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks. "The findings from the 'Map the Meal Gap' study demonstrate that more than two million people in our state are still faced with the real threat of hunger, despite claims that the economic recession has passed."

The total number of food insecure people in Ohio has increased since last year, and the local trend in Ohio is higher than what is being seen at the national level. Overall, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that the national food insecurity rate remained relatively unchanged from last year at 16.1 percent in 2010-or nearly 49 million people nationwide.

The findings also show:

* The cost of an average meal in Ohio is $2.33. That's almost $0.80 more than the average food stamp recipient receives in benefits and that Ohio Community Action Food Stamp Challenge participants are attempting to make do with.

* In Ohio, food insecure individuals said they would need an additional $13.22 per week to put enough food on the table for an adequate diet, representing an annual food budget shortfall of more than $835.5 million.

Colleen with OACAA's Shopping Trip

As the others commented, I too spent more time than usual at the grocery store yesterday doing some comparison shopping. This was also the first time I actually looked at the flyers that tell you what's on special.

I felt kind of silly walking through the grocery store holding my cell phone set to the calculator function so I could see how I was doing.

One thing I learned is that I have probably over paid for things in the past. During this Challenge I realized that it is much cheaper to avoid the pretty packaging and go generic.

I think my favorite scores were Teddy Grahams on sale for a dollar and a pack of snack size Hershey Special Dark bars for $1.05! I am enjoying my Teddy Grahams right now as a much-needed afternoon snack.

Dan At Northwoods Shopping Trip

Like Lisa, I also spent more time shopping than normal. It was kind of hard to pass by all the nice, expensive stuff I normally buy, but in a way, also liberating.

I did feel a little funny walking around with all the generic stuff in my basket. I mean, I don’t judge people on what they buy, but I did feel slightly self-conscious about people judging me.

Overall, I went with quick and easy things. I’m not one to do a lot of cooking and preparing. If I had to do this week in and week out, I know I would get tired of the lack of variety, but for this week I will be fine.

My grocery list:


The result of Dan's shopping trip
Nice to see those jars in tact!



- Half-gallon of 2% Milk – necessary for some recipes, also for cereal – $1.77
- Cereal (Cocoa Crunchies) – my breakfast and snacking material for the week – $3.39
- Ramen Noodles – in the bag – 2 x 0.19 – $0.38
- Ramen Noodle cup – $0.29
- Instant Mashed Potatoes – $2.49
- Can of gravy – on sale! – $0.99
- Pasta – there were cheaper options but I went with the whole wheat – on sale! – $1.25
- Pasta sauce – $1.37
- Wheat Bread – on sale! – $1
- Jelly – couldn’t afford the peanut butter to go with it – $2.88
- Baby spinach – for salad – a little more than I wanted to spend – $3.29

Total spent = $21.37
Leftover = $2.63

I wanted to leave a little bit of money for later in the week if I needed to buy something else. When I was unloading the bags out of my car, the handle on the bag with the two glass jars (of pasta sauce and jelly) broke and the life of my food for the week flashed before my eyes. Luckily, nothing was lost but it really put this in perspective. Had either jar broken, I would have been pretty screwed.

Toledo Blade's Hunger Games

Follow the Toledo Blade's staff as they participate in the Ohio Community Action Food Stamp Challenge http://toledoblade.typepad.com/hungergames/

Day 1 of the Challenge for Neva Dunn

I am doing the Challenge Sunday through Thursday because I will be out of town this Friday.

So my plan was to have lunchmeat sandwiches this week for lunch. I bought a sub kit that cost $5.49 at Krogers with a dollar off coupon. As I was preparing my lunch yesterday, the turkey and ham felt slimy (ewww), so I had peanut butter instead in a tortilla.

Now I am able to take this meat back and get my money back and choose another option for my lunch, but there was a time ( I am a food stamp survivor) when I would not have been able to take it back because we did not have a car growing up. Back then, the person that took us to the store may not have been available to take us back to the store to return it.

Then I realized after my dinner that I couldn’t go get my Dairy Queen twist cone with crunch coat for a treat because it wasn’t in my budget…… anyway it ain’t easy.

Lisa Walsh with Northwoods - Grocery Shopping

After I agreed to take the challenge, I spent a lot of time thinking about my strategy and what I would plan to eat for the five days. I planned my menu and then went shopping in my pantry. I didn’t want to add to the pile of staples that are usually neglected because I don’t really cook. I put all of those items (with brand names) on my shopping list so I could include the price I’d pay if I’d been buying them. Then, off to the store I went.


Lisa's grocery purchases



Armed with a list and pen, I decided I should check out the prices of what I had on hand and get the dry goods first. That would let me determine how much money I had remaining to purchase produce. That is exactly the opposite route I usually take. I got the prices for what I had on hand and picked up the other items I had on my list. I was lucky that several items on my list were on sale, which gave me hope that I’d be able to get some extras. Unfortunately, because a couple of things I had on hand were brand name items, I ended up spending more of my budget than I would have if I’d chosen anther brand, especially the store brand. But, in good news, I discovered that the items I buy in bulk, like rice and popcorn, really are cheaper even if you are buying a smaller amount.

Then I decided to see what I would be able to do about caffeine, and that is when I realized I’d have to make some adjustments. I thought about it and realized that the reason I drink coffee is really because I get a coffee confection. I like the flavored, steamed, fancy drinks. The other times I drink coffee is just to get my caffeine fix. So, I checked out the price of tea bags and will break my coffee habit in the next week.

Lisa's list. She only went 40 cents over budget!



Lisa's shopping list



Here is my shopping list – with prices.  I went 40 cents over the $23 limit.

It took me a lot longer to shop today than usual, and I spent significantly less than I usually do. I also stuck to my list a lot more closely than usual. It is a good thing that I didn’t have to purchase condiments and spices though. And, I didn’t get any cheese or dairy. I won’t miss the milk (don’t tell my mom), but I suspect I am going to wish I’d allocated some funding for cheese.

Dan Unsdorfer with Northwoods Shares His Thoughts on Preparing for the Challenge

I have to admit I have a somewhat-ulterior motive for participating in this Food Stamp Challenge: I know I spend too much on food. Inspired by a fellow Northwoodian (thanks Todd!), this month I created a spreadsheet to keep track of my expenses. For food I budgeted $270 for the month, which is roughly $10 per day.

Well, I went over budget.

On the 14^th day of the month.

Full disclosure, I live with my brother and cousin (who likes to cook) and we do group meals a lot. I buy, my cousin cooks, everyone is happy (especially my brother). But I’m also an impulse shopper. You know how they say don’t go shopping when you’re hungry? Yeah, I do that. A lot.

As a result, I’m looking forward to this being a test of my discipline: the discipline to go to the store only once this coming week. To do this I’ll need to make a plan for each meal and stick to it.

The biggest challenge I think I’m going to face is the fact that I am a huge snacker and generally just eat when I feel like it. So far my plan for that is to buy one of those giant, off-brand bags of cereal and divvy it up into plastic bags for snacking purposes. The rest of my meals will have to be carefully planned. I normally just delete the deals-of-the-week email from Giant Eagle, but now I’m searching through my trash folder for it. I know I need to go in to the grocery store with a plan Sunday or I’m not going to make it.

I am not too far removed from being a poor college student when instant mashed potatoes and a stray Natty Light was a gourmet meal, so I know I can do this. I do my best to eat with my health in mind, so I am interested in seeing how hard that will be on a limited budget. I’m looking forward to sharing my experience with everyone so that we can all better understand what it’s like to live on a limited income.

Lisa Walsh with Northwoods Shares Thoughts on Preparing for the Challenge

So, I agreed to take the Food Stamp Challenge. It has been an interesting day or so since I agreed to do this. As I do with many things, I have gone through multiple stages in my thought process about how I am going to tackle this challenge.

Stage one: I began with a smug belief that this should be interesting and not too bad. I don’t eat meat. I am a thoughtful shopper and make good choices.

Stage two: Let’s make this interesting... I will try new recipes and cooking techniques.

Stage three: Reality sets in. I realized that I don’t cook much, eat out a lot, and don’t go to the grocery store often enough to really know what the price of many ingredients are.

Stage four: A flurry of recipe searches and meal planning to identify a few affordable ingredients that are very versatile, as well as options to provide multiple meals from a single recipe.

Stage five: I realized (with great angst) that I would need to accommodate my caffeine addiction while foregoing my usual snobby taste in coffee and tea.

Stage six: Complications! As I told people that I was doing the challenge, they started raising a whole host of new issues to consider, like “can you eat healthy for that amount per day?” and “but you’re doing it alone, so you don’t get to use bulk purchasing.” And the inevitable reminders from friends and family that I don’t cook.

Stage seven: It's just setting in that this is called a challenge for a reason. I just hope I’m up to meeting it.

Clearly the purpose of the challenge is to create an opportunity to “walk a mile in someone else's moccasin,” and even before I get started, I am thinking differently about role of food and planning for meals. In fact, I have put more time and thought into shopping, meal planning, and budgeting for food in the last 24 hours than I have in the last 2-3 years. So, I am preparing to put on those moccasins and walk this path knowing that I will look at many things differently in a few short days.

Poverty in America: Defining the New Poor

The following NPR article discusses the increase in food stamp recipients, with almost 15 percent of Americans on food stamps. The article goes on to say that more Americans depend on food assistance now than at any other time in modern history: 1 in 6 people, or almost 50 million Americans. Click here to read the article.

House Panel Okays $33 Billion in Food Stamp Cuts

As we embark on the Food Stamp Challenge and see how difficult it is to live on $23 for one week, we should keep in mind that things could get worse for low-income Americans if proposed cuts are made to the program as mentioned in this article.

From Cassandra Myers with Marion County/Ohio Heartland Community Action

I think it will be beneficial to "walk" in the shoes of our clients to get an idea of the daily struggles they are faced with.

Thoughts from Colleen Stoker in Preparing for the Challenge

In preparing for the Food Stamp Challenge I started paying closer attention to prices at the grocery store. Things are more expensive than I realized! This is going to be harder than I thought! I think the experience will give me a more realistic view of the challenges low-income people face.

Thoughts from Lorie McClain in Preparing for the Food Stamp Challenge

Thinking ahead to my week in May doing the Food Stamp Challenge has brought back memories of my childhood.  My mom stayed home and my father worked. He only had a ninth grade education, he had been in the military, but never served during war time so he was not a veteran. He worked 60 hour work weeks and took on side jobs to earn more using the job skill set that he had, which was in master carpentry. Both my parents were the product of the depression and of World War II both coming from large rural farm families. My parents met, married, and had four children. 

Growing up we had very little money. My father made too much for us to get assistance and to little for us to survive on. So my mother made sure we had clothes by making them, or we got hand-me downs from other family. Trust me when I say we wore no brand names and, other than tennis shoes at the beginning of the school year, very few brand new clothes. My mom was a good cook so she made the most out of the meals she made. We got help with food from our grandparents who were farmers. From my father’s dad we got red label bologna and some beef. From my mom’s parents we got a couple chickens for helping with the butchering of them, eggs, and then my grandparents would on the occasion forget that there were only two people left in their household and bought too much hamburger for them to use. 

All of this added up to my family having a meal on the table for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But the meals where simple and definitely not healthy and sometimes small. We would have meatloaf, spaghetti, rice pudding, and hamburger with cream of mushroom soup over toast, baked beans with hot dogs, and clean out the refrigerator night, which was the leftovers for the above meals. On Sunday was the big splurge we had chicken or pork with mashed potatoes and gravy, if it was butchering time for the cattle then we would have a few Sundays with beef. We always knew when things were tighter because we would have spaghetti without meat, only sauce, during the week and on Sunday. School lunch was PB&Jor bologna sandwiches and we carried a thermos with sweet tea (we never had anything else to drink). We never bought pop, candy, or chips, only needed foods. 

I look forward in May during the Community Action Month Food Stamp Challenge to seeing if it is still possible to cook some of the meals that my mother made us, or if I can find a way to make healthier meals, or if I will have to find a way to skip meals. The most interesting part is I have a month to think through a plan, which isn’t something that most food stamp recipients have.

Welcome to the Ohio Community Action Food Stamp Challenge!

Thank you for participating in our Food Stamp Challenge in honor of Community Action Month! Please check out the other pages of this blog for various tips and resources. While living on a food stamp budget for a week cannot come close to the struggles encountered by low-income families week after week and month after month, we hope that you find it to be a meaningful experience and it helps you gain a better understanding of what life is like for the 1.75 million low-income Ohioans living on food stamps.

The Food Stamp Program was established in 1939 and has helped more than 26 million low-income people across the country purchase needed food each month. The program encourages people to transition from welfare to work by supplementing their food budgets and gradually decreasing benefits as income increases. The food stamp program plays a vital role in providing nutrition assistance to low-income families, but the current benefit level makes it very difficult for many recipients to make ends meet. After paying for housing, energy and healthcare expenses, many low-income households have little or no money remaining to spend on food without food stamp benefits. Additionally, most food stamp households report that their food stamp benefits do not last the entire month and many are forced to turn to food pantries and soup kitchens.

We want to know how you do during the Challenge. Was it enough money to get you through the week? Were you tempted to cheat? How different was your shopping experience? Did it affect the way or time it takes you to prepare meals? Did it change your perceptions of food stamp recipients? Share your thoughts by posting to this blog. You can do so by typing up your thoughts and emailing them to info@oacaa.org.

Good luck with the Challenge!