Congregation Shaare Emeth SNAP Challenge Community Blog: Eye-Opening!

Can You Imagine What Hunger Feels Like?

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From Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2014, members, staff and clergy of Congregation Shaare Emeth will take the SNAP Challenge and try to live on the average food budget of a Missouri SNAP recipient – just $29.25 per week or less than $1.40 per meal. SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as Food Stamps). Why are we doing this? To raise awareness about the struggles faced by millions of food-insecure households, to experience first-hand how difficult it is to afford nutritious foods, and to renew our commitment to do what we can to put an end to hunger.

Please join us by attending one of our hunger events, following our blog as we document our experiences (subscribe by email in the box on the right, subscribe to the blog feed, or check back daily), joining as SNAP Challenge participant and blog author, or participating in an alternate way. Let's all learn a little more about what it's like to live solely on food stamps.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Eye-Opening!

This is eye-opening. I had no idea just how much of a challenge the SNAP challenge would be. I started the challenge a day late because I was traveling out of town for a family wedding over the weekend. My shopping trip to ALDI was a reminder that there are many, many people who are carefully checking the per-ounce price on everything they buy.....not because they are voluntarily participating in a SNAP challenge, but because this is their life. I was proud that I was able to purchase most of the week's provisions with a few dollars to spare. I was even prouder that I didn't default to the high-carb, low nutritional value items that could easily have attracted my attention. Inexpensive off-brand Greek yogurt for breakfast, along with a dozen eggs for some added protein during the week. Peanut butter to go with the loaf of wheat bread I found for .99 at the Hostess Thrift store and the bananas from ALDI. Brown rice, frozen Tilapia filets and frozen broccoli florets will be the basis of several dinners: