Three Food Bankers Take the Food Stamp Challenge

September 28th, 2012 § 0 comments

The ability to eat what you want, when you want to eat it, and where you want to eat it is something we can easily take for granted. But what if your budget was so sparse that you limited your social interactions, struggled with making healthy choices, or even had to cope with hunger? For Hunger Action Month, Food Bankers Darrell, Michelle and Leanne took the Food Stamp Challenge for one week to find out how living on $4 in food a day would impact their lives. The average food stamp recipient receives $4 a day in benefits.

Here were the rules:

1.    Each person should spend no more than a total of $28 on food and beverages during the Challenge week.
2.    All food purchased and eaten during the Challenge week, including fast food and dining out, must be included in the total spending.
3.    During the Challenge, only eat food that you purchase for the project. Do not eat food that you already own (this does not include spices and condiments).
4.    You may not accept free food from friends, family, or at work, including at receptions, meetings or parties.
5.    Keep track of receipts on food spending, and take note of your experiences throughout the Challenge week.

Over the next few days we’ll feature each story. Today, we’re featuring Darrell Taylor.

Darrell Taylor Takes the Food Stamp Challenge

In Darrell’s household, his wife does most of the cooking and shopping. The Challenge was a great opportunity for him to brush up on his cooking skills and have a hand in making food choices.

Darrell's shopping receipts and meals.

Amazingly, Darrell completed the challenge under budget at $24.51. While he was able to mostly purchase the foods he would typically purchase for himself including fresh fruits and vegetables, he did forego his usual treats such as a glass of wine, chocolate or potato chips. Those little life pleasures were simply out of his financial reach and he could only spend on the bare necessities. “Walking pass the candy at the front desk was also a challenge,” said Darrell. “I did not take a piece of candy all week which was very hard. My hand is always in the candy jar.”

The challenge isolated him from some social gatherings with his friends. “On the weekend I was getting invites to go out for dinner and I had turn it down,” said Darrell. There was no way he could participate and stay within budget. Also in Texas, you cannot use your food stamp benefits at restaurants.

As for his health, he did report losing 4 pounds but it wasn’t because he didn’t have enough to eat. In fact, he was quite satisfied and said he had more energy and felt better than he usually does. “I was eating healthier,” said Darrell. “No chips, no chocolate, no alcohol. I did miss my evening glass of wine.” Food stamp benefits cannot be used on alcohol.

How was he able to make it through the week and stay under budget? Moral support from friends and his food banking knowledge really came in handy when it came time to make choices in the grocery store. “Only because Michelle and I were doing it together we talked about food a lot and what we could have done better on some choices,” said Darrell. “ I did buy a couple of dairy products that were marked down because they were close to expiration date , but knowing that Feeding America says dairy is good for 7 -10 days pass this date I had no problem buying them . This saved me about $3.50 to spend on other items.”

Darrell’s story is a stark reminder of how food is more than just nourishment. Food gives us a reason to gather with friends, celebrate small accomplishments, and punctuate the day with small pleasures. Hunger can be isolating and disconnect us from our traditions and culture.

Thank you, Darrell, for sharing your story. Stay tuned for our next story on Monday.

Tagged Food Stamp Challenge, Food Stamps, Hunger Action Month

What's this?

You are currently reading Three Food Bankers Take the Food Stamp Challenge at Capital Area Food Bank of Texas Blog.