The SNAP Challenge - Day Three

I can't believe it's day three already!

This is my meal plan for today:

• Breakfast: Oatmeal with strawberries and two hard boiled eggs.
• Snack: Banana
• Lunch: Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, applesauce, and cucumber slices.
• Snack: Baby carrots.
• Dinner: Brown rice with diced tomatoes and black beans.

This plan might look familiar because it is the same exact plan as Monday (Day 1).  I already know what I have in store for myself. The only wildcard today is that I will be running 5 miles after work for my half marathon training program, so I hope I will have enough food to keep me from feeling hungry tomorrow.

Daily Totals -
Cost: $2.77
Calories: 1,255

I wanted to talk today about my experience with SNAP.  I qualified for the SNAP program in 2008 when I served in AmeriCorps VISTA at Harvesters.  As part of volunteering for a year with only a small stipend, participants live at the poverty level and to better understand those they serve (I received a little over $800 per month and served 40 hours a week).  Living at the poverty line qualifies one for SNAP benefits.  The process is hard to do, I had a hard time trying to figure out where to go to get benefits and I had to take time off from my service because the office is only open during typical business hours, making it hard for those that have a job.  I know others in my program who have had their paperwork lost or been assigned caseworkers they can never get a hold of, even when they have assigned call-in times.  I feel it personally when people talk about abusing the system because it would be a lot of work to do, to get benefits and to keep up with the process for not a huge payout.  Harvesters now has a department that helps with navigating the application process as it can be difficult and daunting.

Once I received my card I went to the grocery store and used it.  I felt like everyone was looking at me, even though that was probably not the case.  You can swipe the card and it deducts the food that qualifies and the amount you have available and then you pay the remainder with another form of payment.  It is about as subtle as can be, but I still had to swipe twice and that is a different kind of thing.

When I was on SNAP seven years ago and as I am on the challenge now I feel like my experience is pretty unique, most people knew I was on food stamps.  I was encouraged to talk about the services that are available to those that are hungry and provide a first-hand perspective to those in the middle class who do not know how this program works and what a benefit it can be to those who are hungry.  I didn't see it growing up and I probably still have not seen the everyday reality of someone who is using food stamps and feels the need to hide that fact.  I have never had to carry around the weight of that kind of secret.

That is the thought I would like to leave with today, my coworkers and myself have been offered food by our friends and family who are not participating in the SNAP challenge and we turn them down.  Those offering say they would share with someone who was hungry, if we were really food insecure.  We say no.  We have to say no because people may not be so lucky to have friends and family who will happily share their portions.  I am only doing this for five days and if I can't make it through this without "cheating" and eating other food then I am not fully dedicating to the purpose of this challenge. Relying solely on my benefit of $4.50 each day for food and empathizing with those who live with this as their reality.  I can make it a week.

**I was hungry when I got home from work, so I had an additional packet of oatmeal before I ran.
Updated totals -
Cost: $2.92
Calories: 1,415