First Two Days of Food Stamp Challenge

Day One and Two

Why does the homeless man who “lives” near our temple not have food stamps? It takes so long and the paperwork is so complicated that after five hours trying to file to get public assistance, he gave up. 

Bob (not his real name) explained this to me just before Shabbat as he sat in the shade near his bicycle. 

I finished Shabbat and the second day of the Food Stamp Challenge (living on $31.50 worth of food for a week) a little hungry and a little jealous of all the delicious cakes I missed at the Oneg Shabbat and the dessert after Selichot services.  Still, it’s nothing like what Bob goes through each day.  Or the members of our temple and community who have to live on $31.50 a person every week – not just this one week. 

Attached is a photo of the food I bought on Friday morning for the week. Checking price tags so closely adds a lot of time to grocery shopping.  In the end, it came to $30.96.    I wanted an avocado that was on sale but it was 75 cents.  My only fruit is bananas which were on sale at 39 cents a pound.  I counted the slices of bread when I unpacked – 18 in all.  That means 2 a day and an extra couple for a treat. 

As of Saturday night at the end of Shabbat I have managed to eat two bowls of cereal, a banana, a yogurt, a small piece of broccoli, a few slices of cooked chicken breast, tuna with some chopped onion, a grilled cheese sandwich, and scrambled eggs with mushrooms and onion.  Not too unhealthy for two days of food though I sure do miss throwing some raisins or dried cranberries in the cereal.

I’m sure it’s more than Bob eats in two days.