Oregon's Governor is taking action against Oregon's hunger issues. In a move to bring more awareness to Oregon's hunger issues, Governor Kulongoski has gone on the food stamp diet, or 
as he's calling it, the Food Stamp Challenge. In 2002, Oregon's hunger rate was among the highest in the nation. Governer Kulongoski pledged to help end Oregon's hunger problems, and he's taking a more public stand against the problem.
Using the same amount that the average food stamp recipient would receive on food stamps - just $21 - the Governor shopped at a Salem Fred Meyer's grocery store for his week's worth of food. Of course, since he and his wife share the same meals, together they are allowed $42 total for the week. Some of the items that he chose to buy with his tiny budget were a 5-lb. sack of potatos, three cups of instant noodle soup, two zucchini, a bunch of bananas, one whole chicken, one gallon of milk, granola, bread, peanut butter and jelly. Among the items that the first lady Mary thought to have on hand: Coffee, eggs, lettuce, onions, and pesto. He reportedly had to put back a few bananas and one of the noodle soups to stay under the budget.
If you live in the local Mt. Hood area, you know how tough it gets for some people. Here in the corridor, there is only one place people can go for extra food, and that's visit the Sandy Community Action Center. They give food boxes to families in need once a month, and participate in the Community Basket program that offers fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers on the third Thursday of each month. Some local residents spend hours collecting cans from campgrounds and parking lots, just to earn extra cash to make ends meet. You can donate directly to the Action Center, or to the Oregon Food Bank if you want to help. For those of you who wish to participate even further, you can take the Food Stamp Challenge as well!
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budget, diet, food, food stamps, government, hunger, Oregon, Portland
Food stamps are intended to be supplemental to a working income. To help people buy food - not to be their only source of money for food.
ReplyDeleteYes, you are partly correct, however there are quite a few people who are not on the "way to recovery" from a job loss, or having a child.
ReplyDeleteThere are a large number of people who have no family and are either disabled or elderly, and their food stamps are their only source of food income. Many times, any cash they receive from social security or other sources won't cover their basic needs, and food isn't included in that budget. They are left to make ends meet in whatever way they can.
It's too easy to stand back and decide for them what they should do, but it's an entirely different thing when you live it. That's why what the Governor did was eye-opening for many people, they haven't ever tried to live in the shoes of another.
We're trying it for a week. Follow us at:
ReplyDeletehttp://foodstampfollies.blogspot.com/
Paul