Food stamp challenge
Encyclopedia
A food stamp challenge is a trend in the United States
popularized by religious groups, community activists and food pantries in which a family of means
chooses to purchase food using only the monetary equivalent of what a family that size would receive in federal food stamps. In 2007, this amounted to US$3 per person per day. Many poor people rely on food stamps to provide for all their food.
CNN reporter Sean Callebs did an experiment
where he spent the month of February 2009 eating only as much food as what a person could get with the maximum possible amount of food stamps. Since he was living in New Orleans, Louisiana
, this amounted to $176. At the end of the experiment, he said that he had eaten pretty well, and that the biggest drawback was a social one, not a nutritional one, because he could not go out to eat at restaurant
s with friends.
In St. Louis, Missouri
, Food Outreach executive director Greg Lukeman has led a food stamp challenge since 2008, during September "Hunger Action Month" to bring awareness of the nonprofit organization's clients. Community members, Food Outreach staff and supporters, area politicians, and members of the local media have participated and blog about the experience.
In October 2010, a new documentary Food Stamped
, where a couple live on a food stamp budget for a week, premiered at the Mill Valley Film Festival
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
popularized by religious groups, community activists and food pantries in which a family of means
Wealth
Wealth is the abundance of valuable resources or material possessions. The word wealth is derived from the old English wela, which is from an Indo-European word stem...
chooses to purchase food using only the monetary equivalent of what a family that size would receive in federal food stamps. In 2007, this amounted to US$3 per person per day. Many poor people rely on food stamps to provide for all their food.
CNN reporter Sean Callebs did an experiment
Experiment
An experiment is a methodical procedure carried out with the goal of verifying, falsifying, or establishing the validity of a hypothesis. Experiments vary greatly in their goal and scale, but always rely on repeatable procedure and logical analysis of the results...
where he spent the month of February 2009 eating only as much food as what a person could get with the maximum possible amount of food stamps. Since he was living in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, this amounted to $176. At the end of the experiment, he said that he had eaten pretty well, and that the biggest drawback was a social one, not a nutritional one, because he could not go out to eat at restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s with friends.
In St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Food Outreach executive director Greg Lukeman has led a food stamp challenge since 2008, during September "Hunger Action Month" to bring awareness of the nonprofit organization's clients. Community members, Food Outreach staff and supporters, area politicians, and members of the local media have participated and blog about the experience.
In October 2010, a new documentary Food Stamped
Food Stamped
Food Stamped is a 2010 documentary film by Shira Potash and Yoav Potash, about food stamps and a couple who take the food stamp challenge and live on a food stamp budget for one week....
, where a couple live on a food stamp budget for a week, premiered at the Mill Valley Film Festival
Mill Valley Film Festival
The Mill Valley Film Festival is an annual, non-competitive film festival presented by the California Film Institute. Known as a filmmakers’ festival, the annual Mill Valley Film Festival offers a non-competitive environment for exhibiting independent and world cinema.Founded in 1978 by MVFF...
.