Defeat

Today, five days in, I'm going to admit a full on fail of this SNAP challenge.  I made the commitment that for as long as I could eat a healthy and balanced diet I would continue.  I can no longer do that.

Although I have some things left, it would never get me through to today, tomorrow and Sunday.  If it did it would mean subsisting on a couple of eggs,  peanut butter, celery, bread, some fruit and that's about it.    I would have had a potato left as well, had one not exploded in my oven.  But that's another story...  With savvy shopping, I was able to make it about 4-1/2 days of healthy eating.  That leaves 2-1/2 days of only enough to barely subsist on.

I understand why there is that stereo-type of going on SNAP benefits and gaining weight.  In order to eat through the entire week, you'd need to eat a lot of starch:  pasta, rice, cheap boxes of macaroni and cheese.   There is no way to get enough protein into a diet relying on SNAP benefits, much less fruits and vegetables.  That's 15% of the U.S. population that isn't getting enough nutrition.  What concerns me more is the Food Research and Action center estimates that 1 in 5 who are eligible for assistance are not being served.

I also understand why it seems that people on SNAP appear to make poor choices with the benefits.  For example, buying frozen chicken nuggets instead of whole birds or buying cheap boxes of MacNCheese.  The time I spent cooking from scratch took a great deal of time.  Time a working poor family might not have to spend.

I think about families on SNAP, or more specifically the children.  It is estimated that 1 in 4 children go to bed hungry.  There is no way a parent could feed their children relying on SNAP benefits even if the parents themselves go hungry.  I also now understand why there is such a weight crisis among our children - parents are doing the best they can and its about filling kid's tummies instead of giving growing children proper nutrition.  It's an oxymoron, isn't it?  A weight crisis and lack of nutrition on SNAP benefits.

Throughout discussions on my Facebook page, I've seen time and time again about supplementing SNAP benefits with a Food Pantry.  And I don't know about where you are, but here in the City of New York the food pantries are in crisis.  Overwhelmed by people in need and donations of food items are not keeping up.  I encourage you to donate to your local food pantry any way you can.  Keep in mind they can buy food cheaper than you might be able to, so if you can make a financial donation, even a small one it would help relieve this problem.

Friends have often heard me say that Universe (God/Allah/Yahweh - whatever that divine spirit we all aspire to) may not bring you what you want, but it will always bring you what you need.  I picked up my mail from my box on Wednesday to find a small postcard from the National Associate of Letter Carriers.  It reads:  Fill a Bag.  Help Feed Families.  On Saturday, May 9th Letter Carriers will be picking up bags of donated food to shelters and food pantries across America.  What an amazing synchronicity!  The week I do the challenge is the same week the NALC announces this year's drive.

I ask you to please fill up a bag of non-perishables (no glass) and leave it by your mailbox on Saturday May 9th, 2015.  You can also take a bag to your local post office on May 9th.