"People are declared innocent when they act justly and responsibly. They don’t cheat anyone, but fulfill their obligations. They don’t rob others, but give food to the hungry and clothes to the naked."
We're now a little over a week into our month of SNAP challenge and what we have noticed the most is the constraint placed on our eating habits. Many of our meal choices haven't deviated too much (after all I just graduated from Seminary and my wife is just starting her graduate level education so we're used to eating cheap foods) but it's the choice that's really missing.
There have been many moments in this first week where I've been working on a sermon, preparing for a meeting, or even relaxing when it hits me. I want food. Typically we eat a small breakfast, usually nothing more than a bowl of oatmeal or cereal with coffee. Lunch consists of a sandwich or a quickly prepared pasta dish. Dinner is a slightly larger affair, usually some side dish included and a small dessert. All of these meals are less than normal and all of them contain far fewer fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats. This I expected, but what I did not anticipate was how difficult it is to not have a choice.
Before we started this challenge, when we wanted something extra, or something healthy, or even a specific item, we would go get it (within reason). Now every meal has to be carefully thought out and there is always the concern as to what will happen when we run out. This is a common problem for those who need supplemental assistance like SNAP. Yahoo News ran an article this week with some of the stories of those who are actually on SNAP, and what their grocery/food allowance looks like. Below is an excerpt from that article:
"Warrick, one of several food-stamp recipients who shared stories with Yahoo News this week, knows how pricey that food is. Her budget for her family of three is stretched. “Have you noticed food prices lately?” she asks rhetorically. “I mean, really noticed?”She says preparing a fresh, healthy dinner for her family of three costs $20, four times more than a pizza. So they live on macaroni and cheese, sandwiches, spaghetti and canned vegetables — cheaper but less healthy meals that run about $2 to $3 each. (Her homemade enchilada recipe, at about $15 a meal, is often out of the question.)"
For those who receive SNAP benefits, this $4.45 a day is a vital lifeline that allows individuals and families the chance to put food in their stomachs. However, this much needed assistance does not mean that people will be eating healthy foods, or have much of a choice in the variety of their meals. The lack of choice was the first thing we have experienced and its absence is felt every day.
