An On-going Challenge
By George Jones | May 31, 2007
Recently, several members of Congress participated in a 'Food Stamp Challenge,' where public officials subsisted for one week on the national average food stamp allotment, or $21. Representatives Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO), who are co-sponsoring a bill that would increase funding and eligibility for the Food Stamp Program, asked Congress to take part in the challenge. Only two members of Congress joined them.
These officials are to be commended for bringing attention to the fact that the minimum food stamp benefit is 10 dollars a month -- an amount that has not increased since the 1970s. This grim scenario is one that we witness every day at Bread for the City in Washington, DC, where a majority of our clients have an annual income of $7,000. Yet the majority of the people who come through our doors are eligible for only a negligible amount of food stamp benefits.
Dana K. is a 46 year-old single mother of two teenage children, and is unable to work because of disabilities. She receives child support payments of approximately $50-60 a month, and, because she is eligible for TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) benefits, also receives $150 monthly in food stamp benefits. "It's really hard to get enough food to feed my family," Dana shared. She can only afford to buy chicken, rice, and potatoes. If there is a sale, she'll buy a pack of pork chops or hamburger meat. "There's usually not enough money for vegetables," Dana said. She frequently runs out of food and money before the end of the month. That's when she comes to Bread for the City to pick up a free three-day supply of groceries to tide over her family.
The issue is not simply one of "hunger." It is also an egregious lack of affordable, nutritional foods in low-income communities. Studies show a direct relationship between overweight and obesity levels and poverty levels, with obesity rising disproportionately in low-income communities across the nation. In other words, the less money you have, the more likely you are to be overweight or obese.
Several factors contribute to this trend. Healthier, higher quality foods are more expensive, forcing low-income consumers to buy the cheaper foods and the empty calories, fat, and sodium that tend to go with them. Not only are lean meats and fresh produce more expensive, they are not always readily available for low-income residents in DC. A 2006 study conducted by DC Hunger Solutions gave Wards 7 and 8 (the poorest Wards in the District) a C and a D- respectively for food security. Combined, the two Wards have only two grocery stores to serve over 140,000 people.
One solution to the problem that Bread for the City is advocating for is to place Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) machines in all area farmers markets -- an action that thus far has only been undertaken at the Anacostia Farmers Market in Southeast DC, through the sponsorship of the Capital Area Food Bank. EBT machines are like ATM machines for those who receive public benefits such as food stamps or TANF support. Most people with low-incomes are unable to shop at farmers markets, as they only accept cash or major credit cards. EBT machines will give people with food stamp benefits access to fresh, nutritious produce, for lower prices and better quality than what is available in grocery stores.
Bread for the City will continue helping Washington's most vulnerable residents make ends meet, while advocating for meaningful change in the way our community and our nation address hunger and nutrition. BFC supports the McGovern/Emerson "Feeding America's Families Act" (H.R. 2129), which will impact millions of Americans who are struggling not only to make healthful food choices, but also to put food on the table.
Beginning June 5, or Hunger Awareness Day, I - along with several BFC staff - will be joining DC Council Chairman Vincent Gray in taking part in the Food Stamp Challenge. Please check back at Sharing Witness to read updates of our experiences and to share your thoughts.
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