In order to better understand the effects of hunger and food insecurity in America, the rabbis and cantor of Congregation Shaare Emeth invite you to join other members of Shaare Emeth in participating in the 2014 SNAP Challenge. SNAP stands for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as Food Stamps). From breakfast on Sunday, Jan. 26, through dinner on Saturday, Feb. 1, we will try to live on the food budget if an average SNAP recipient. Last year, that budget was $31.50 per week, or $1.50 per meal. This year, the 2009 Recovery Act's temporary boost to SNAP benefits was not renewed, so our budget will be $29.25 for the week – which averages to less than $1.40 per meal.
In again taking this challenge, we hope to raise awareness of the struggles faced by millions of Americans who live in food-insecure households and to experience first-hand how difficult it is to afford nutritious foods, avoid hunger and stay healthy without adequate resources. We also renew our commitment to alleviating hunger here in our community, one of our chief Jewish values.
Please join us in this challenge in any way you can. Visit our SNAP Challenge Participation Guidelines page for challenge guidelines and alternate ways to participate. To register, email the names of all participating members of your household to fightinghunger (at) shaare-emeth.org, and we'll send you an invitation to be an author on our blog.
We invite you to join or follow our blog, share experiences, and share low-cost recipes
and ideas as we take the challenge together.
We also hope to see you for our Jan. 24 and 29 hunger events! Friday, Jan. 24, 6 p.m. Rabbi Bennett will speak about the issue of hunger in America, and Wednesday, Jan. 29, 6:30 p.m. for the screening the documentary, A Place at the Table.
L'shalom,
Rabbi Jim Bennett
Rabbi Andrea Goldstein
Cantor Seth Warner
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