Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Food Stamp Challenge!
If you are taking or have already taken the Food Stamp Challenge, please add your reflections, experiences, menus, and any other comments you would like to share. We are very interested to hear what you think of the Food Stamp Challenge and we are very thankful that you have joined us in this unique hunger awareness initiative.
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27 comments:
Thank you for sponsoring the challenge.
One thing that wasn't clear to me from the wording of the challenge rules is whether it's ok for people to use herbs, spices, and condiments they already have on hand or whether you'd prefer people to act as if they have an empty cupboard?
Since people can get garden seeds with food stamps is it ok if some of their food comes from the garden?
What about wild foraged food such as dandelions?
On the healthy eating on food stamps suggestion list, people may do better using greens for calcium rather than milk as they have many other nutrients as well.
Some blog post headings that might allow people to exchange helpful info for the challenge and also organize the info:
1)A place where people can announce and invite others to food stamp challenge potluck meals
2)A place where people could post prices and resources for frugal healthy foods such as
Grocery store A, address of store
Bulk brown rice .69 lb
Collards .69 lb
Lentils .79 lb
Cheese 2.00 lb week of June 5-11 only
Grocery store B, address of store
Mustard seeds .50 spice bottle
Onions 1.00/ 3 lbs week of June 5-11 only
Farm Stand A, address and hours of farm stand
Kale .69 lb
Potatoes 2.00 for 10 lbs
3) A set of posts for recipe categories where people can post scratch recipes as the comments for frugal healthy or somewhat healthy foods such as:
Bread
Breakfast
Casseroles or one dish/pot meals
Fruit
Grains
Main dish with dairy or eggs
Main dish with meat/fish/poultry
Main dish vegan
Pasta
Salad
Sandwiches
Soup
Vegetables
Other
4) A place where people can offer additional tips for making the best use of food stamps
5) Info about what's available for foraging in June in OK if that's ok under the challenge.
If people would like to read about previous experiences with similar challenges, they can look at the archives at
PAWChallenge@yahoogroups.com
Amaranth
I just read the article in the Sunday Transcript. Where does this info come from? $21 a week? I manage a local convenience store and I see some food stamp balances of $700 $800 even $900.00 for a month. I wish I could spend $900.00 a month on food (and not have to pay sales tax) But i have to EARN my money and shop at Wal Mart. I have thought for a long time if the food stamp program was a LOAN PROGRAM, maybe people would thimk twice about staying on the program for 20 years like I have seen. I think Ms. Rosenthal needs to get in the real world.
If she's only getting $21 she better not shop at a convenience store.
Janet
I am not sure where your information is coming from to say that $21 per week is the average per person per week. If you go to the DHS website http://www.okdhs.org/programsandservices/food/fs/docs/fsreqs.htm
you will find that the welfare recipients receive much more to spend on food then the average family falling just above the guidlines. Not to mention the fact that the average person in Tulsa county pays an additional 8% for sales tax. Therefore you can add an additional 8% to the weekly food budget.
As a working single mom who falls just above the guidelines I would love to have that much money to spend on food (and I wouldn't even resell it for the cash)!
I don't use food stamps, but I do already follow the purchasing guidelines published here.
Yep, if you buy whole foods you can save a lot. But I've seen some significant increases in the last 12 months.
I could buy the same things for closer to $15 just last year. Basic staples are all up; chicken, milk, bread, beef, veggies, etc all up by quite a bit.
The working poor are getting bit a lot harder this year than last.
Get ready to allow $26 for the same challenge next year.
I don't know where the information about $21 dollars comes from, but I supported a homeless gentleman who lived in my home while he was getting on his feet, and he received $159 per month for food (2 years ago) stamps, which far surpassed the 21 per week. Since he could pay rent or utilities, we purchased groceries for my whole household, which included 2 adults and a very hungry teenaged boy and still had some left over each month
I think that it is rude to assume that someone using food stamps doesn't work for a living. I have had to use them before, and it was the difference of life and death for me and my child at the time. But I will say that it even out to about $4.80 a day for each of us, not $1 a meal (or $3 a day). I don't know where that number comes from.
Even though I had that much to spend, it was still very difficult to feed myself and my child healthy and balanced meals on that. The last week of the month was usually pretty lean and I would skip meals so that my child got enough to eat.
It is unfortunate that those who utilize assistance are looked upon so poorly. Most of us are people just like you that fell on hard times. I don't know anyone who has used food stamps their entire life.
I would love to take the food stamp challenge, would Mayor Kathy Taylor care to give me the money so my family could actually afford to spend 21 dollars per person for the week. There are seven of us and we cannot afford to spend 147.oo a week on food. We spend around 95.00. We eat fairly decent too on that. My family has been on food stamps in the past, My husband was working, we qualified and I will tell you unlike the other people that I see down at DHS with their cigarettes, cell phones, cable television, and newer cars, we did not and still do not have those things. We are poor, not American poor like those other people or maybe it is because we believe in providing for our children first not ourselves. How can you beg and say you cannot afford to feed your children but, sit outside DHS smoking and talking on your cell phone, then leave in a nicer car than I have ever owned in my life or probably will! These are people I actually saw inside earlier applying for assistance not the workers. Also did you know that DHS give you an allowance for your cigarette addiction but does not except as an expenditure what you pay for car insurance even though it is illegal not to have it. These people can get to work and find a job without car insurance and their vehicle being registered, but my God they will never make it without their cigarettes is what DHS must think. Lastly I was watching that governor in some western state shopping for food on that 21 dollars and he was getting assistance from a recipient, she told him to buy the peanut butter with the jelly in it to save money. This is exactly why most poor unfortunately will never get anywhere, they a stupid. That type of pbj costs more than buying them separate. Not only that you have to refrigerate it and when the peanut butter gets cold it is hard to spread on your bread, which then will tear and if you are poor buy the cheap bread like I do and it definitely will fall apart wasting more money. I do not believe that everybody is abusing the system and the system is also designed to punish anyone trying to better their family at all. If you make a little more money you lose alot more in food so you are worse off for trying.
I was tickled to read about this challenge. As a public school teacher with a husband on disability, we fall just above eligibilty requirements for food stanps. We spend approximately 150 bucks a month on groceries for both of us- well below the $3 a day amount. We eat healthy, whole foods- but I am an educated shopper- I stay away from convenience foods- We drink water- We eat vegetables in season- and I know what has a better price at which stores. (By the way- I once bought my groceries at Aldi, and went directly across the street to Walmart, where my mother-in law wanted to buy her groceries. Since I already had mine- I price compared- Aldi price to Walmart store brand price. With the exception of two items- salmon and cherries were on sale at Walmart for pennies below the Aldi price- Aldi had Walmart beat. The same groceries I bought at Aldi for 70 bucks would have cost 85 at Walmart!).
I had a friend on food stamps for a while and she bought the majority of her family's groceries at AKINS! She often even had money left over at the end of the month.
She wasn't sure what to do with it, and was trying to decide how she could figure out a way to tithe it.
I know that ignorance is our most painful form of poverty. I work in the inner city- I see how much pre-packaged, convenience "food" is picked up at 7-11 that would have been half the price at the grocery store. I see the junk we are addicting our children too in the school "nutrition" programs. All the fruits and veggies come in cans- the meat is all breaded and cut into nuggets so it can be more easily dipped into ketchup- the chips are name brand- and individually packaged so we know what brand to ask mommy for at the grocery store. And don't even get me started on the chocolate milk! Do you have any idea how many children in our city begin their day with cocoa puffs and chocolate milk? PITIFUL. JUST PITIFUL!
I once worked in a Head Start Center- now THEY fed children FOOD! (and the kids LOVED it!)
but things have even changed there now that their oversight has been moved to the dept. of education.
I have nothing against poor people-I work with poor people everyday. They have a home in my heart. If I did qualify (and maybe one day I will), I would probably make use of the food stamp program. I think our nation (including many of our "nutrition" programs) is creating a monster when it comes to the health of poor people. For starters, how about we disqulaify anything that has SUGAR as a first ingredient? How about we have some minimal nutritonal value requirements? Mandatory nutrition classes?
I will also state that more than once, someone has offered to "buy" my groceries (with food stamps) in exchange for cash. I think this is more common that we want to believe. There is no reason a family with this amount of money alotted to them should ever have to go hungry at night.
Now, my suburban, sam's shoppin' in laws- they could learn a thing or two from this challenge- but that's a whole other rant.....
I just read the comments posted to this blog. It's evdient to me that generally we do not agree with the premise of eating on only $21 a week.the numbers just don't addup.
I'm a market grower of fresh veggies for a local farmers market and food is a very important issue in my life.I do however belive that there are hunger issues out there and poverty makes them worse.I think the poor are uneducated on food shopping but they don't seem to care (as a whole).with all the free food pantrys avaiable Plus food stamps I see lots of fat poor people who don't look hungry.
The point is that this challenge is flawed from the start and is only being used to envoke symthaty and to increase $$$ being donated.As always the children are being hurt the most as most parents on welfare aren't educated enough to care.Our eating habits are for most not the best.We all eat too much fast food even at home.I encourage you to eat what's in season,shop at farmers markets for the freashest veggies and buy local,keeping your food $ at home in the local economy.
$21 a week per person would be great, when I got food stamps for my family of four I only got $130 per month total thats $8 a week to feed 4 people. Impossible.
excuse me $8 a week per person//$32 per week total. Guess I got the short end of the stick if I was supposed to get $84 a week total huh?
I have read these comments.Am saddened at people complaining
about other people getting help
to feed their familys.I am a grandmother who works everyday
to help feed 3 grandchildren and
a daughter.Shes been divorced over
10 yrs, but can't pay the high rent,car payments,She don't qualify
for any help.If I didn't help her
they wouldn't eat.Shes never got child support.I babysat for years
because she couldn't pay that either,until they were old enough to stay by themselfs.I thank God that I am still able to work.And I
am thankful for the food stamp program that helps feed our hungry.
They're are a few that abuse the
program but a lot more that don't.
Earlier this year I was very much in need of assistance i have four young children so my daycare bill would have totaled $1600, my rent was $625, my gas and electricity was totaling around $300 (or more) a month, I was told that I make too much money, i know that these totals alone exceed my gross income, note that I had NO car no furniture no clothes, nothing to my name, I had actually just left my abusive husband. I became an LPN to try and escape the need of government assistance, instead I escaped the availabilty of it if I do need it.
My comment comes 1 year after all these have been placed. I will be honest I do not know the food stamp challenge and did not read about it yet. I am only commenting on the other comments listed here.
I am a 28 year old disabled woman. I was born with a problem with the nerves in left eye that has worsened much through the years. I was also diagnosed as bipolar at age 17 and have been heavily medicated ever since and to top off the issue I had a surgery at 20 to correct an issue with my bile duct. My conditioned worsened because of the surgery and my abilities will be limited for the rest of my life. I am what you would call a FAT person. I have hormone issues most caused my my bipolar treatment. I am 70 LBs over what I should be. I raise my 16 year old nephew who's mom is deceased and father is in prison as well as my two children. I am a single woman who drives a nice 4 y/o SUV that my parents sold me cheap when they ought a brand new one. I keep a cell phone for emergencies. I am not able to cook very long due to different health issues. I but my veggies in a can or frozen. Because I cannot clean cut and cook them the way a non disabled person can. So please put all of your stereo types to rest. I am on food stamps I have a small second income from web site development because I am not STUPID! I went to college just like you. I just was given a different life. And all the times I have been at DHS I see many people well worse off than I am. Instead of poking fun why don't you try to help. I know a lady who couldn't work to support her children if I didn't give her a ride to work and not ask for gas. There are no buses out here. Quit griping about all the poor people because it does no good. Try helping someone it will really open your eyes!!
My comment comes 1 year after all these have been placed. I will be honest I do not know the food stamp challenge and did not read about it yet. I am only commenting on the other comments listed here.
I am a 28 year old disabled woman. I was born with a problem with the nerves in left eye that has worsened much through the years. I was also diagnosed as bipolar at age 17 and have been heavily medicated ever since and to top off the issue I had a surgery at 20 to correct an issue with my bile duct. My conditioned worsened because of the surgery and my abilities will be limited for the rest of my life. I am what you would call a FAT person. I have hormone issues most caused my my bipolar treatment. I am 70 LBs over what I should be. I raise my 16 year old nephew who's mom is deceased and father is in prison as well as my two children. I am a single woman who drives a nice 4 y/o SUV that my parents sold me cheap when they ought a brand new one. I keep a cell phone for emergencies. I am not able to cook very long due to different health issues. I but my veggies in a can or frozen. Because I cannot clean cut and cook them the way a non disabled person can. So please put all of your stereo types to rest. I am on food stamps I have a small second income from web site development because I am not STUPID! I went to college just like you. I just was given a different life. And all the times I have been at DHS I see many people well worse off than I am. Instead of poking fun why don't you try to help. I know a lady who couldn't work to support her children if I didn't give her a ride to work and not ask for gas. There are no buses out here. Quit griping about all the poor people because it does no good. Try helping someone it will really open your eyes!!
My comment comes 1 year after all these have been placed. I will be honest I do not know the food stamp challenge and did not read about it yet. I am only commenting on the other comments listed here.
I am a 28 year old disabled woman. I was born with a problem with the nerves in left eye that has worsened much through the years. I was also diagnosed as bipolar at age 17 and have been heavily medicated ever since and to top off the issue I had a surgery at 20 to correct an issue with my bile duct. My conditioned worsened because of the surgery and my abilities will be limited for the rest of my life. I am what you would call a FAT person. I have hormone issues most caused my my bipolar treatment. I am 70 LBs over what I should be. I raise my 16 year old nephew who's mom is deceased and father is in prison as well as my two children. I am a single woman who drives a nice 4 y/o SUV that my parents sold me cheap when they ought a brand new one. I keep a cell phone for emergencies. I am not able to cook very long due to different health issues. I but my veggies in a can or frozen. Because I cannot clean cut and cook them the way a non disabled person can. So please put all of your stereo types to rest. I am on food stamps I have a small second income from web site development because I am not STUPID! I went to college just like you. I just was given a different life. And all the times I have been at DHS I see many people well worse off than I am. Instead of poking fun why don't you try to help. I know a lady who couldn't work to support her children if I didn't give her a ride to work and not ask for gas. There are no buses out here. Quit griping about all the poor people because it does no good. Try helping someone it will really open your eyes!!
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I know this is a while after this whole thing was started but i saw a grandma post on here about assisting her daughter through hard times & supporting programs to feed our hungry. What an amazing mother i myself have kids & have been divorced & my family took me in for a short while but threatened everyday to make me leave if i didnt bend to there will. I think we as people should help others if we can & not look down onto others because we feel "jealous" or "angry" that they have nicer cars, smoke cigarettes, etc. I too had to use state benefits for a bit to get back on my feet, i felt guilty enough without others putting me down about it. So please next time you see someone pay with foodstamps dont silently cast blame or judge them harshly you dont know them. I dont know any of you but it seems some of you make sense, others are just jealous or angry at the system, & some just have to put in their 2 cents. I greet everyone with a smile & see the person they are not the benefits they have to use to make ends meet...
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