This is Day 21 of a month long food stamp challenge. If this is your first visit, please check out this link to see all of the posts and get a better understanding of what is going on.
We have somehow managed to reach the hard-fought end of week 3 despite it all! If there is one thing the trials of the past few days have taught us is that we have become far too accustomed to the convenience of picking up food and drinks wherever we are, whenever we want and need them. Even with doctor appointments and medical tests scheduled, we are committing ourselves to devoting more time to planning and pre-planning for those just in case situations that may arise from time-to-time.
While out on errands today we happened upon a very local food bank and stopped by in the hope of talking to someone about the program. As luck would have it, they were closed for lunch at the time. Awkwardly taped to the front door was a list of requirements to be considered for assistance through the organization. The forcefully written statement was full of misspelled words (we’re talking 3-4 words that were barely recognizable). It was eye-opening for sure; I personally had never realized that you might have to prove that you were hungry to get food from a food bank.
I wish I could say that I am becoming more hopeful as this challenge goes on but the opposite is true. The food scarcity issue in this country is overwhelming and there’s not a lot we can do about it. What we can do is help to teach people how they can live better on less, how they can grow their own and how to cook great food from scratch.
PURCHASES
| ITEM | SIZE | PRICE | UNIT | PRICE/ UNIT |
| cereal | bag | 1.09 | serving | .06 |
| cereal | bag | 1.09 | serving | .06 |
| flour | (3) 5lb bags | 3.24 | cup | .06 |
| green beans | can | .43 | can | .43 |
| drink mix | 5 packets | .55 | each | .11 |
| potatoes | 5lb bag | 1.73 | pound | .35 |
| C: Coupon | P: Price Match | R: Reduced | D: Damaged | receipt link |
MEALS
LOAF OF SOURDOUGH BREAD: $.68
BREAKFAST: $.97
coffee
sugar
creamer
grilled cheese on sourdough
LUNCH: $.42
cereal with milk
NOTE: We noted yesterday that the milk is out of date and still good, so we are making an effort to use it before it spoils.
PITCHER OF TEA: $.61
DINNER: $3.28
homemade mayo
breaded tilapia filets
French fries
coleslaw
- Consumed Today: 8.63 [+0.37 for the day]
- Consumed To Date (week): 33.49 [+21.81 for the week]
- Consumed To Date (month): 93.95 [+86.05 for the month]
- Spent To Date: 208.48
- Remaining Balance: $70.70
QUESTION OF THE DAY:
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
No question of the day, or was that intentional?
My food bank was run under the table, so to speak. We didn’t want the gov involved, telling us what to do. If you came through our doors, you were hungry, and we didn’t require ‘proof”, really. We asked some questions about how long you had been out of work, and really just tried to find out if there was drug use. Jaded? Sure. You still got food, though.
I had a friend who worked for social services, who would call me and see if she could send a family/person over who had to wait for their food stamps but needed food that day b/c they were out. She had to do it quietly and on the sly, b/c it wasn’t protocol and her co-workers disapproved. Actually had to hide it. I hope I don’t bring up the food bank too much.
There are so many on drugs and so many that take advantage, and the people helping are cautious and only want to help those that aren’t on drugs or taking advantage, but what I wish they would realize is that these people still have kids to feed, and that you will only find maybe 1 in 4 families does not have drug or alcohol abuse in their home. (IMO) I think it goes hand in hand with poverty. Just what I have seen and what I know, in Atlanta.
My dream is that cherry tomatoes and green beans will get planted everywhere there’s a square foot of available space, and that anyone could pick what they need. Why can’t we do that?
What is called a food bank here is actually a place where you can get emergency food 4 times a year. I guess they think nobody gets hungry at other times? A local restaurant wanted to donate steaks and other items but there is no refrigeration. This is a town of 82,000 so you’d think there’d be a real food bank but no. My friends are shocked when I tell them there is no public transportation here or anywhere to get food more often than 4 times a year. Sad.
Sandra, i love your dream! and Shannon, i volunteered for several years in a food bank (SVDP) and i agree with you, there is a lot of abuse, but not by really rich people or anything. More like borderline people telling their little lies to get as much as they could, i.e. people that lived together and aren’t legally married would only claim THEIR OWN income, and all the kids, and their S.O. would do the same. So two boxes would be going to the same household each month…or even one, but really the people were way over the income limit, because they’re not claiming both incomes. (this happens A LOT.) People in $20,000 or $30,000 trucks, but they’re getting that food box! But there were also plenty of people that either had someone bring them or actually took the bus (i say actually because we gave the people A LOT of food, and if you have a box and 2 or 3 sacks, that is not easy to carry on the bus!!!) So yeah, you get a little jaded, but it is also a good feeling to send people away with food, and at least half of them really need it.
Note to Michael: I am surprised you didn’t realize there would be qualifications for getting assistance! Our food bank too would always give it anyway, but actually you have to call a number and give your info and be “approved,” because otherwise a ton more people would just get the food just because you can! It’s been a few years now since i volunteered there, so i imagine they are much stricter now with the pre-qualifying, because the amount of people they serve has quadripled. I remember even when i was there that the government was already drastically curtailing what they were supplying, so most of our food was coming from donations that would enable us to buy food per pound at food bank outlets, and from grocery stores that would donate food that was at the pull-date…but even that was also being curtailed, because laws were being passed, or maybe it was just a fear of lawsuits, so that we stopped giving out food that was expired. Sad, because i eat expired food all the time. I wouldn’t recommend it to people with weakened immune systems, but it is also a way to build UP your immune system, lol! it’s kinda like getting vaccinations…
Yes, there is abuse at food banks, but then there are people like me who offer to volunteer to pay for the food I’m given. We have so many students here, and of course, they lie to get food from food banks. I don’t know what our requirements are here, but social services are strict and help scarce here because of the students, so I’d imagine it’s pretty tough to get help. For a city that has such a high percentage of poor, this is one selfish place. The rich people on the other side of town just stay safely inside their walled communities and forget those sleeping on the streets.