The American News Project â a new nonprofit project producing âonline journalism that mattersâ and offering their content for free â turns its cameras to the problem of hunger in the U.S. Garland McLaurin reports that 28 million people will use food stamps in 2009, but the low benefit amounts mean that many of these recipients still must turn to food banks or other sources to meet their food needs.
Many of those struggling to feed themselves are elderly, and the seven-minute film features comments from two seniors; one compares herself to a hamster running on a wheel, while the other calculates that the cost of getting to the office to pick up the minimum allotment of $10 per month isnât worth it. McLaurin notes that the minimum amount will rise to $14 per month under the new Farm Bill, and that most recipients get the equivalent of $21 per week.
Itâs tough to make $21 stretch to 21 meals, though, as Bread for the World employee Brian Duss realizes when he takes the Food Stamp Challenge, living on the average food stamp benefit for one week. He shopped carefully (buying lots of pasta), but at the end of the week conceded that he was feeling sluggish and having a hard time concentrating â something he attributed not just to too few calories but to insufficient nutrition. Watch the whole thing here.
In the run-up to the Farm Bill negotiations, several members of the U.S. House of Representatives took the Food Stamp Challenge and blogged about it. They also report skipping meals, feeling cranky and sluggish, and struggling to fit fresh fruits and vegetables into their constrained shopping trips.
Food stamp recipients and others who struggle to make ends meet are facing even more difficulties as the price of food rises in response to poor crop yields and increasing global demand. Yet as Congressman Jim McGovern (one of the Food Stamp Challenge takers) tells the American News Project, âNo reporter asks any of the candidates ⦠whatâs your strategy to end hunger?â It sounds like itâs time to start asking.
Was just reading a blog on a Victory gardens in San Francisco, where the community is encouraged to plant vegetable gardens at city hall or any other public spaces that are currently covered in grass. The efforts started during WWII to help local communities ensure fresh fruits and vegetables. Maybe this is what we could start doing to help supplement people on food stamps, or those who cannot afford to eat.
Dagny
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… or we could just increase the amount of food stamps we give people to keep them from starving…
I truly agree with consciousness awakening part of the post.!
People rating poverty as poor from their hearts is the first step towards any revolution to be taking place..
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Mark, increasing the amount of food stamps *ought* to be an obvious step (and the Farm Bill did take it, although the increase might be eaten up entirely by rising food prices). But thereâs evidently enough wrong-headed opposition to increasing food stamps that it becomes politically difficult.
Itâs something that politicians ought to be willing to fight for, even in the face of opposition, but they wonât until journalists and voters start asking them about it.
John Edwards has began a new org to end poverty in AMERICA and Sen Obama supports him and will help.