A Brief Taste of Food Insecurity on My Food Stamp Diet

By George Jones | June 8, 2007

It is day four and in truth my "diet" hasn't been so difficult so far. Most of my trouble has been my questionable shopping choices (the variety in my diet is minimal) and my hectic schedule.

The highlight of my day yesterday was participating in Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton's midday press conference announcing the start of her Food Stamp diet and championing the Food Stamp bill that she is also sponsoring on Capitol Hill. The event was covered in The Washington Post today. After Rep. Norton spoke, several hunger advocates, one food stamp recipient and I spoke regarding our support for the new legislation and the advocates' experiences with the Food Stamp Challenge.

One point I shared is that less than half way through my Challenge it is becoming crystal clear that there is virtually no margin for error. One has to shop with care and precision to come close to a balanced diet. And clearly one is forced to sacrifice any number of food choices that are commonplace to the more privileged American shopper.

Forget the pricier foods like steak or shrimp or other seafoods. And desserts. Yes, I know they don't score high in the nutrition department, but they are as American as (excuse the pun) apple pie. I remember, while doing my grocery shopping on Monday, passing the frozen food section and seeing the various ice creams and frozen desserts. I could have succumbed, but it would have been at the expense of something very basic, like bread, or eggs, or - heaven forbid - bologna.

In thinking about this issue of margin for error, I was also reminded of the parking ticket I got a few weeks ago. The charge was $30, and I paid it without a second thought. Now, if $21 represented a full week's worth of food, a $30 hit would have wreaked havoc on my overall budget. I would literally be trying to replace 10 days worth of groceries.

Of course, if the unexpected expense is an emergency medical matter (or an auto repair, or a kid's outgrown sneakers) well – you can imagine the math has just gotten a lot scarier.

Today, Ms. W, a single mother of two teenaged children, came to Bread for the City for the first time - to speak with a case manager and to pick up some groceries. She spoke with one of my staff about her experiences receiving food stamp benefits.

"It's depressing for a mother," Ms. W said. "I had come out of the poverty status, and was doing good, working a job, for four years. Then I got fired. I swore to myself that I wouldn't ask for help. But then my kids were asking me: ‘Ma, why is the fridge empty?' I had to drop my pride and get back on welfare. Having to apply for food stamps was one of the most humiliating things I had to do. You're already trying to take care of your family. You're going around to different offices where they treat you less than human. They tell you that it's going to take 60 days to make a decision. You go through all of the rigmarole and scrutiny, all for a little bit of nothing. Barely enough food stamps to survive."

"It's hard to stretch the food stamps out a whole month," said Ms. W. "It would be best to buy food in bulk, but wholesale stores like Sam's Club don't accept food stamps. So I have to go to the supermarket, where the food isn't always fresh. Buy a case of chicken and take it home to find that it doesn't smell right. I buy what's on sale - a lot of spaghetti. But the kids get tired of cooked meals. They want something different; they want to be treated every now and then. Your mind is always juggling, thinking: ‘How am I going to make it work?'"

It's this kind of reality that is at work when anti-hunger and anti-poverty advocates talk about food insecurity. Most food stamp recipients live with the constant risk that their food stamps or other resources will just not be enough to meet their family's needs throughout the month. I'm grateful that my family and I don't live with this constant risk. We at Bread for the City are committed to working for a society where no one has to pick and choose between his or her basic needs.