According to the U.S. Census, 1 in 5 Vermont families struggled with hunger at some point last year. How is your 3SquaresVT Challenge experience changing how you think about this number?
What You Can Do: Help increase access to food resources for food insecure Vermonters. Make sure that public areas (town offices, libraries, churches, community centers, etc.) post information on 2-1-1, 3SquaresVT, school meals, and local food shelves.
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What does it mean to struggle with hunger? I'm thinking that all the planning and thought that went into preparing for the Challenge was so time consuming, even that could be considered a struggle for a low-income single mom, who is trying to work, care for children, and make ends meet. It's exhausting. Then to add the menu planning, grocery budgeting and cooking from scratch on top of it. When is she supposed to rest? I'm not surprised 1 in 5 VT families struggle with hunger. It's all around us, every day.
ReplyDeleteI am amazed how much attention I have had to spend on figuring out how to have enough money to get through the week. My trip to the supermarket took twice the time checking on prices, deciding what I could afford to purchase and watching brands to make sure I got the best buy. I am worried I might run out before the week ends!
ReplyDeleteI agree with 2 comments above - it's a huge ordeal to plan ahead for food consumption, and no matter how much you plan you still don't know how it's going to come out at the end of the week. Realizing that most people who find themselves on the Program are struggling in all kinds of ways, they need some help to put healthy and easy food choices into their menus. Would it help participants to budget if a list was handy to show that 1 raw organic carrot costs about 15cents, or 1 fresh local apple costs about 30cents? Compare to a bag of single-serve potato chips, for example, and it's an easy choice to make. Could those of us taking part in this Challenge who have the time to crunch the numbers use our efforts to help those who live with this on-going challenge who don't have the time?
ReplyDeleteAs someone else stated, the planning process for this was quite time consuming. My family literally spent hours creating a shopping list and researching prices before even going to the store. We also planned out everyone's meals and snacks for the week and posted this list on the refrigerator so that we all know what is "allowed" every day. On top of that, I spent more hours on Sunday baking bread, making granola, yogurt, muffins and tomato sauce to use throughout the week (and to save extra pennies). And I'm still unsure if the estimates we made will carry us through until Saturday.
ReplyDeleteI've realized how important it was to have some knowledge of good nutrition in order to eat well on a budget. At first my son thought that limiting our food spending would mean getting to eat Doritos and doughnuts because he sees those as cheap foods. But those foods are "extras" and we needed all of our money for meal components. There was no room to splurge on a treat or two at the grocery store.
It is a struggle just to maintain this level of vigilance. Even a small lapse could mean not enough money for food by the end of the week. And even with all this planning and preparation, what if it's still not enough?
Well, I blew it yesterday. Someone brought pumpkin bread to the office to share. I was so distracted by my growling stomach that I broke down and had a piece. (Fine, I'll 'fess up, I had 2.) So I priced out pumpkin bread and added it to my food costs.
ReplyDeleteMy high quality, inexpensive (but still $0.50 overbudget) meal choices yesterday left me thoroughly unsatiated and just plain grumpy. After only 48 hours on this budget I'm fantasizing about a giant $1.80- sized pile of ramen noodles. Today's plan is plain lentils and noodles for lunch to feel full so I can concentrate on work. They were the cheapest, most filling thing I could "buy" from my pantry as I ran out the door this morning. The amount of meal planning and cooking that others write about is not remotely an option in my 14+ hour days right now.
I have a question. I have always been under the impression that the 3Squares Program is designed be a supplemental food program rather than a program that pays for all food a person or family needs. Even the official name (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) seems to make this point. If this is the case, why are participants being asked to spend only what the 3Squares amount is? Could someone clarify please?
ReplyDeleteAlso what is the point of passing up a lunch that is provided at work or another event? Are we saying that people who receive 3Squares are NEVER in a situation where they are treated to a meal? Surely for the purpose of this exercise you could have calculated the cost of your p.b. sandwich and enjoyed the meal that was provided for you. Let's not get carried away. I think this is a useful exercise but a bit of common sense will make it even more realistic in my opinion.
I agree that this is an imperfect exercise. It would be my hope that someone who qualifies for 3 Squares might also be able to put some cash into their food budget, but that is not always the case. I think one of the benefits of adhering to the possibly stricter interpretation of the amount is that we force some of these experiences over the course of a week.
ReplyDeleteI have turned down three free meals now. Last night, I was backstage at a concert where there was catering and I walked in with a bowl of leftover soup and a piece of bread. At first, the musicians were a little puzzled and thought I was just trying not to graze on their food, but because of that bit of theater on my part, I got to explain why I was doing it and what it meant and it set off a larger discussion about food insecurity.
In a few hours, I will be at a legislative reception that will feature "light refreshments". "None for me, thanks. And let me explain why, senator."
This is essentially a stunt, but it's one that makes us and the people around us think more about the many stresses that can come from having less. And on Sunday morning we know we can all have a big breakfast and go back to our regular lives--and hopefully appreciate how lucky we are and how important it is for us to all work harder to make sure this is not a regular way of life for so many.