#calfreshchallenge

[iencinitaslocal-blog]

More than 500,000 people in our community do not have enough food for a healthy, active life. The CalFresh Challenge encourages people to experience what life can be like for many of our neighbors who rely on food stamps as they struggle to avoid hunger, afford nutritious food and stay healthy with very limited resources.

Could you maintain a food budget of $34.31 for a week? That’s about $4.90 per day. For more than 285,000 low-income San Diego County residents, $34.31 is their weekly allotment for all of their food and beverage needs. This week marks the 8th annual CalFresh Challenge running today through Sunday, Sept. 21. The CalFresh Challenge provides participants an idea of what it is like for millions of Americans that work paycheck to paycheck to provide for themselves and their families.

The challenge started in 2007 when four members of Congress decided to live on an average food stamp budget for one week to raise awareness and understanding of what challenges many people face on a daily basis while receiving CalFresh benefits. Every month an estimated 300,000 San Diego County residents rely on CalFresh to get enough healthy food. Of the CalFresh recipients in San Diego County, nearly 46% are children.

Here are the rules:

1. Budget: Each person has a total budget of $34.31 to be spent on food and beverages for the week (that’s about $4.90 per day).

2. What’s included in the budget: All food purchased and eaten during the Challenge week, including fast food and dining out, must be included in the total spending.

3. Food at home: 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. Social situations with food: Avoid accepting free food from friends, family, or at work, including receptions or social events.

5. Share your experience with us: Document your experience throughout the week using a blog or daily journal to track how you approached the Challenge and share your stories and recipes.

Prepare and plan because getting a nutritious meal plan for your family on less then five dollars a day takes skill.

#CalFreshChallenge Day 1. Took hours to plan menu & shopping list that didn't exceed avg weekly benefit of $30.67.

The concept of hunger includes a parent who skips meals, a senior citizen that has to choose between the purchase of his medication or next meal, or even someone who is compelled to choose less expensive and less healthy options, such as processed foods versus whole grains. As far as hunger is concerned in San Diego County, more than 446,000 people live under the poverty line, which in this case means household incomes that bring in less than $22,350 each year for a family of four.

[jaquelinescalfreshchallenge]

In my day to day work at Feeding America San Diego, I see what the cost of hunger is on our community. I’m raising money and awareness by launching a fundraiser through the month of September for those that would like to support me and my life-long mission of alleviating hunger and empowering others. Will you help me by making a donation to help end hunger in our communities today? Thanks in advance for your support! 

[jaquelinescalfreshchallenge]

CalFresh Challenge 2016

In an effort to raise awareness about poverty and hunger, I will be living off the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) allotment for the next seven days. The purpose of this challenge is to raise awareness and experience what it is like trying to eat healthy on an extremely limited budget. It highlights how far reaching food insecurity can be. 

SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, is our nation’s largest hunger safety net offering nutrition assistance to over 45 million low-income individuals. In California, we call this federal program CalFresh. It provides 1 in 9 Californians with a means to purchase healthy foods while improving household food security. The average CalFresh benefit allotment for one individual is $4.27 per day, or $29.89 for a week. Stay tuned to see what $4.27/day looks like and why this is called a challenge.