SNAP Challenge: Preparation Day

Editor’s Note: Deb Heinrich, Gov. Dannel Malloy’s liaison to the state’s nonprofit community, agreed to take the SNAP/Food Stamp Challenge this month and live on $4 a day for food for a week. We are posting her experience in this blog over the next few days.

September is Hunger Awareness Month and to help increase awareness of the thousands of people in this state who are food insecure and those that live their lives hungry, I am going to take the SNAP Challenge.

What is the SNAP Challenge?

Well SNAP used to be called Food Stamps. SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. People who qualify for SNAP receive $4 per day to spend on food.

The challenge is to try to live on those $4 per day for food. I’m going to take the challenge for one week. Therefore, I have $28 to spend on food for the week. I plan on keeping a little journal along the way. If you are interested in more information about the SNAP Challenge or if you want to join me in the Challenge, you can click here to see how.

Prep Day

I made up a grocery list of things I’d like to eat in the next week with an eye toward frugality. I went to an online grocery store site in order to get a rough estimate of food prices as I was making up the list so that I could stay under $28.

The first thing that struck me was seasonings. I love spicy, spiced flavorful food. Spices are expensive! The next thing that struck me was the up-front costs of stock items in the kitchen like salt, sugar and oil. Since the rules of the SNAP Challenge demand that no food can pass your lips unless you purchase it on the $4 per day budget, I had to incorporate things like salt, sugar and oil which will last much longer than the week, but are pretty critical for the cooking I was planning on doing.

I took the list to my local grocery store, which is not the least expensive place to buy groceries, but I wanted to be cognizant that many people who do not have enough to eat also cannot travel long distances to buy food. I felt I should stay in my community to keep in the spirit of the Challenge.

Here is the list of what I bought:

Vegetable Oil (store brand): $ 1.75
Peanut Butter (store brand): $ 1.99
Diced Tomatoes (store brand): $ 1.00
Vegetarian Refried Beans: $ 1.00
Salsa (store brand): $ 1.34
Soft Tacos (12 count): $ 1.89
Dried Black Beans (store brand): $ 0.89
Dried Lentils (store brand): $ 0.69
Long Grain Rice (store brand): $ 1.50
Old Fashioned Oats (store brand): $ 1.00
Brown Sugar (store brand): $ 1.59
Salt (store brand): $ 0.59
Onions (3): $ 3.82
Carrots (one bunch): $ 1.29
Celery (one bunch): $ 2.50
Jalapeno pepper: $ 0.31
One head garlic: $ 0.50
Red Delicious Apples (2): $ 1.77
Total $25.42

I left a little leeway in case I forgot something important. I will be able to go back to the store and get it (if it costs less than $2.58!).
My list includes mostly items that are the store brand. It is heartening for me to note that the labels on the store brand items I bought we not loaded with preservatives and chemicals and fillers like I expected. I know this can sometimes be the case, but for these items, it was minimal. As someone who normally eats organic, that was important to me.

I am vegetarian so you won’t see meat products on my list, but I was sad not to be able to include dairy either. I really love cheese, which was not in the cards for me on this budget!

Well, I’m stocked up as much as I can be. I’m soaking the black beans overnight so that I can cook them tomorrow for dinner. I’ll let you know how the day goes tomorrow.

Read Full Post »

Junior League, Connecticut Food Bank Partnership Inspires Local Youth

This blog post is a reprint of an article that appears in the Junior League of Greater New Haven’s spring newsletter.

Like many high school girls, this weekend Nayara Colon will be shopping. But unlike most, she’ll be at the supermarket, trying to stretch the $12.25 she’ll spend to feed herself for the week. Nayara will begin blogging about her experience eating on $1.75 a day, the amount of money a person working a full-time job at minimum wage would have if they spent 10 percent of their income on food.

The inspiration for her blog project was Hunger 101, a program Connecticut Food Bank and the Junior League of Greater New Haven brought to her service learning class this fall. Her service learning teacher, Aaron Stelson, now a Hunger 101 facilitator himself, helped Nayara design and propose her project to a panel of community members who granted her the money to carry it out. “Mr. Stelson also helped me set up the blog,” Nayara said.

Nayara, a sophomore at Amistad-Elm City High School in New Haven, has been volunteering with anti-hunger efforts since childhood, when her mother took her and her sister to the streets of Hartford and Puerto Rico to deliver home-cooked meals to the homeless. Nayara had seen hunger first hand on the streets. But Hunger 101 helped her to understand food insecurity, the persistent anxiety of not knowing where your next meal is coming from, that so many low-income families experience.

Hunger 101 is an interactive hunger education program offered by Connecticut Food Bank and facilitated by trained volunteers, including three members of the Junior League of Greater New Haven. Participants, using budget scenarios of people who use food assistance charities, navigate public assistance and other community resources to plan three meals a day for a family. The simulation forces participants to experience the frustration and anxiety felt by those who are food insecure. “I thought about how it affects kids in those families, not just physically, but also mentally and socially. Food is something kids look forward to throughout the day. It gives them energy to focus in school,” Nayara explains.

Despite the apprehensions of Nayara’s mother, Nayara expects to experience some of those effects herself next week, when she subjects herself to food insecurity. Her objective, she explains, is “to educate others about hunger. I hope that a lot of people will read my blog and realize that people on the minimum wage have trouble feeding themselves.” Each day, Nayara will post her menu and some pictures of what she’s eaten. She’s cooking all her own food and passing on school lunch. At the end of the day, she’ll report on how she’s feeling. After her fianl reflection on the experiment, Nayara hopes to keep up the blog and continue educating the community about how hunger affects the working poor.

You can read Nayara’s blog at: http://blogs.achievementfirst.org/ncolon/?p=15&preview=true.
If you are interested in hosting a Hunger 101 for your group or organization, please e-mail cfb@ctfoodbank.org, or call 203-469-5000.

Read Full Post »

Nearly 15 Percent of Connecticut Households Surveyed Unable to Afford Enough Food New FRAC Report Highlights Data for First Half of 2010

Nearly 15 percent of Connecticut residents surveyed in the first half of 2010 said that in the prior 12 months there were times when they did not have enough money to buy the food they needed for themselves or their family. These survey results are according to the Food Research and Action Center’s series of analyses of survey data on food hardship collected by Gallup as part of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. This particular analysis looks at the most recent available food hardship rates by state, for the first half of 2010.

In the year-round survey that began in January 2008, 1,000 individuals per day were asked, “Have there been times in the past 12 months when you did not have enough money to buy food that you or your family needed?”

Additionally, the report compares results in the 12 month period from July 2008 through June 2009, to the 12 months from July 2009 through June 2010, and finds that food hardship in Connecticut decreased by less than one percent over that time period. These two, 12-month segments were selected to see if there was any significant change from the time of the heart of the recession to the first year of recovery.

“Although the food hardship rate in Connecticut has not increased, the number of families who continue to struggle to put food on the table remains very high at 1 in 7 surveyed,” said Connecticut Food Bank Chief Executive Officer Nancy L. Carrington. “It will be challenging, but in the New Year we must do all that we can to reduce these statistics which can represent your family, friends or neighbors who are affected by unemployment, underemployment, poverty and food hardship.”

The full report is available at http://www.frac.org

Read Full Post »

Call to Action:

On December 9, the House of Representatives unanimously passed the Weekends Without Hunger Act (H.R. 5012), which Feeding America has been working to pass. This bill would support community efforts to feed low-income children during weekends and long school holidays. If the bill passes the Senate before Congress adjourns for the year, it would result in new opportunities for food banks to feed children on the weekends when they don’t have access to child nutrition programs. Help us urge the Senate to pass this important legislation.

Here’s how you can call your Senator:

Dial 877-698-8228 and enter your zip code to connect directly to your Senator’s office.
Deliver this simple message: Please bring the Weekends Without Hunger Act (HR 5012) to the floor and pass it this year!

Please take a moment to call your Senator today!

Read Full Post »

Giving Thanks

We recently sat down to talk to with Bill Lee, the recipient of our Hunger Action Hero Business Award, which was given in September. Bill owns Thermo King of Southern Connecticut. He has also been a partner with Connecticut Food Bank for the past 12 years, volunteering his time and equipment and making donations. As he does every year, Bill provided on-site refrigerated trucks for our large Thanksgiving for All food drives last week. These large-scale turkey collections in our communities would not be possible without his support.

Bill Lee, of Thermo King of Southern Connecticut

A true inspiration, Bill continues to make a difference in the community by hosting food drives. Below is our interview with the Thermo King himself.

CFB: Congratulations on your recent Hunger Action Hero Business Award. What does this award mean to you personally?
Bill: Well, I donate to a lot of different organizations and it felt really good to receive an award like that – to be recognized for something that I’ve done.
CFB: How has volunteering impacted your life?
Bill: I’ve been doing business with Connecticut Food Bank for the last 12 years and I see how dedicated the employees are there. We try to donate as much as we can to it. I was brought up with three brothers and a single mom and I know what it feels like to go to bed at night without having anything to eat, so I applaud the employees there for what they do.
CFB: Many people graciously donate during the holiday season, but could you explain the importance of donating year round?
Bill: I think there’s more hunger in this country than a lot of people realize. The economy is so bad, there are more people that are unemployed now, and the cost of gas and heating oil is high. People can help by volunteering – bring your recycling items back to the store, redeem them and buy a can of food to donate. There are a lot of things people can do.
CFB: What drives you to continue helping Connecticut Food Bank?
Bill: I’ve been through it, so it’s more of a reward now that I have bettered myself in life. I own my own business; I’ve come from nothing and gone to having more than I need, so if I can give back to the community, I do.
CFB: What would you say to someone who doesn’t believe he or she can help out?
Bill: They should visit a church homeless shelter. There is hunger out there. You can listen to people’s stories. Open your eyes; it happens enough around us.
CFB: What is your ultimate goal when volunteering?
Bill: To keep giving as much support as far as trailers and equipment and making more drives. Making people more aware that there is hunger in this state.
CFB: Thank you for your time and for the opportunity to speak with you. Are there any last things that you would like to say?
Bill: Connecticut Food Bank is a good organization, very well run. People there are very dedicated to their cause and are very organized.

We would like to congratulate Bill once again on his well-deserved Hunger Action Hero Business Award. We also want to thank him for all that he has done and continues to do for Connecticut Food Bank.

Read Full Post »

“Thanksgiving for All” Campaign is Thousands Short of Meeting Distribution Needs

The Connecticut Food Bank is more than 4,000 short of its expected demand for turkeys this holiday. The shortage means thousands of residents, many of them children, will not have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner this year.

There are difficult financial strains due to the economic environment in our state. Connecticut Food Bank is asking everyone who is able to please consider donating a turkey to help others. This holiday represents an opportunity to reflect on those things we are all thankful for, a time for family and friends. Those who donate make it possible for everyone to be a part of the sharing process of Thanksgiving.

Last year, Connecticut Food Bank distributed 26,503 turkeys and 491,000 pounds of food, which provided an estimated 590,000 meals for people in need during the holiday season. Every event planned for this month is critical, not only to collect food and funds, but also to increase awareness about the ongoing battle with hunger and poverty that many Connecticut residents face. One out of every seven households in Connecticut is struggling to keep food on the table.

Find a “Thanksgiving for All 2010” event near you to donate:

• KC 101, WELI 660, ESPN 1300 Stuff-a-Bus. Friday, November 19, 6 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Saturday, November 20: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Collecting frozen turkeys, non-perishables and financial donations. Hamden Plaza, 2100 Dixwell Ave., Hamden

• WATR Big Heart at Big Y. Friday, November 19, 7 a.m. – 1 p.m. and Saturday, November 20, 7 a.m. – 1 p.m. Collecting frozen turkeys, non-perishables and financial donations. Big Y, 85 Bridge St., Naugatuck

• i95 Camping for Cans. Starting 5 a.m. Monday, November 23 – ending at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, November 25. Collecting non-perishables and financial donations. Danbury Auto Group Lot, approx. 72 Newtown Rd., Danbury

Also, Connecticut Food Bank warehouses in East Haven, Fairfield and Waterbury will have extended holiday hours to accept food and monetary donations from the public, and for volunteers to help sort and distribute food to member programs before Thanksgiving.

People unable to get to a food drive may donate a turkey or other items at Connecticut Food Bank’s Virtual Food Drive at http://www.ctfoodbank.org.

Read Full Post »

My Take On Hunger 101

Editor’s Note: On Oct. 1, Connecticut Food Bank’s Chief Development Officer Janet Kniffin held a Hunger 101 program at Pomfret School. Hunger 101 is an interactive, group learning experience for people age 12 and older. It gives people an opportunity to walk in someone else’s shoes and see firsthand what it’s like to struggle with poverty and hunger in Connecticut. Johara Tucker of Pomfret School wrote this post after she and her students experienced Hunger 101.

Janet Kniffin, standing on the left, with Johara Tucker, sitting on the right, and faculty from Pomfret School

Last week, more than 20 students went through the Hunger 101 program coordinated by Connecticut Food Bank. I had no idea what to expect but this program went above and beyond any kind of hunger awareness seminar I have ever been to.

It’s one thing to watch the news and be well informed about hunger and other social issues, but to actually, even for a minute “feel” what it may be like for someone who lives this every day is mindboggling.

As an educator I always look for the “aha” moments, when curiosity, emotion and advocacy spark in a child’s eyes. Friday night was one of those nights for many of the students who attended.

Every student was given an identity, a real story from a real person—and then told to calculate income, expenses and how much would be left for food for the month, divide that by 30 and it’s how much you can afford for food per day. For me, after expenses were calculated I only had $1 a day to spend on food for a household of six.

The students’ reactions were interesting to observe; for some this hit them personally and it made them realize how much their parents work in order to allow them to attend Pomfret. Others couldn’t understand that people actually have to make hard decisions regarding food. Others were just angry and wanted to take action immediately.

---

Some thoughts from my students:

“It was definitely an eye-opener to how much I take for granted, especially as something as great as food which I usually tend to minimize its importance. After tonight’s program I am inspired to help. I wasn’t aware of how privileged I am to attend a boarding school where thinking about where I will get my next meal from isn’t an issue. I had no idea that while I was taking things for granted people were struggling for those same things right in my own backyard.”

“I though it was an eye-opening and informative program. It was heart wrenching to be placed in someone else’s shoes, and to kind of go through a day in the life of someone struggling to feed their loved ones. Also it has spiked my interest in raising awareness in our school community about hunger and how fortunate we are to have well-balanced meals 3-4 times a day and to have choices, whereas some people don’t and we fail to realize just how privileged we are.”

“I thought the Hunger 101 was great and it really affected me in the sense that I understand how hard it is for families to pay for food when they have such a low income. I thought the program was very informational and touched a lot of people.”

---

One situation that made me hold back tears was one about a mother who woke her kids up late for school so that they could rush and forgo breakfast because she couldn’t feed them. No mother should have to go through that—how can the richest state in the U.S. force people to make these decisions?

Another interesting part of this program was the frustration when going to the different stations acted out by students—the food pantry that wasn’t always open and had no fresh produce, the welfare office that only had paperwork in Spanish, the SNAP office that had unrealistic standards in order to qualify (for example, out of 20 or so participants only one qualified and it was only for $1.50) and the grocery store that had inflated prices and a clerk who would ignore those who had food stamps.

So not only do people have to worry about where their next meal is coming from—they also have to deal with stigmas and financial numbers that do not go in their favor.

When the program was over I had students who admitted that they didn’t want to come but they are so glad that they came. One was so moved that she is currently starting up a food drive, another wants to make meals and give them to hungry families. I am so proud of my students; they dove head first into the simulation and came out more aware and ready to make change. My hope is that at some point every student can go through this simulation and be engaged to take action.

Posted by Johara P. Tucker, Esq., Director of Community Service and Associate Director of Online Communications of Pomfret School

Read Full Post »

Hunger 101: Experience what it’s like to struggle with poverty and hunger

Food insecurity. Food hardship. Low food security. These terms are supposed to describe what hunger means. But sadly they simply sanitize the real experience, failing to capture the real and daily struggle and stress of hunger.

Our new interactive, group learning experience, called Hunger 101, gives people a taste of what food insecurity—or hunger—really is. We will offer our first public Hunger 101 session from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Sept. 11 at our main warehouse, 150 Bradley Street, East Haven.

The program gives you an opportunity to walk in someone else’s shoes and see firsthand what it’s like to struggle with poverty and food insecurity in Connecticut.

“This is a very important, eye-opening look at the experience that real people have who have to face food insecurity and all that goes with it every day of their lives,” Kathy Moran said in a Facebook posting. Kathy, who went through a Hunger 101 training, is one of our longtime dedicated volunteers and supporters with about 15 years of service.

“It’s about the food, yes, but it’s also about so much more,” Kathy added. “Give Connecticut Food Bank a call and invite them to present it at your office, club, or organization.”

In Connecticut, one in seven households struggled with hunger in 2009, according to the Food Research and Action Center. So that means six out of seven households didn’t.

For a few minutes, Hunger 101 simulates that experience for those of us who don’t struggle, as you learn to feed a family for a day with no or limited resources.

One of our goals at Connecticut Food Bank is to promote public awareness about the problem of hunger. That effort has to go beyond statistics and food and fund drives. We hope Hunger 101 gives you a glimpse of what hunger really is.

Call us at (203) 469-5000 or e-mail cfb@ctfoodbank.org to register for the Hunger 101 experience on Sept. 11 at our East Haven warehouse. If you’re interested in scheduling a Hunger 101 experience for your organization, company or classroom, call or e-mail us.

Posted by Janet Kniffin, Chief Development Officer of Connecticut Food Bank

Read Full Post »