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The Food Stamp Challenge highlights what it is like to eat on the average food stamp benefit—approximately $1 per meal. After paying for housing, energy and health care expenses, many low-income households have little or no money remaining to spend on food without food stamp benefits. In addition, most food stamp households report that their food stamp benefits do not last the entire month, and many are forced to turn to food pantries and soup kitchens. While living on a food stamp budget for just a week cannot come close to the struggles encountered by low-income families week after week and month after month, it does provide those who take the Challenge with a new perspective and greater understanding.
The challenge was created by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) in Washington, D.C., the nation’s most authoritative source of information about federal and state supplemental nutrition programs, including food stamps, school breakfast and lunch, the summer food service program and other programs that prevent hunger.
The Food Stamp Program is important because it makes a difference in the lives of millions of Americans across the country. However, in many cases the benefits received are too low to allow families to purchase nutritious food and feed their families healthy meals on a consistent basis.
This situation can change for the better, because right now the United States Congress is debating the “farm bill,” a mammoth spending bill which will determine levels of support for numerous food-related programs for the next five years. By improving your understanding of the circumstances many food stamp recipients face, you will be better able to assert your rights as a citizen in telling policy-makers how to make good decisions about improvements to the Food Stamp Program.
In fact, you can sign up to receive e-mail alerts from Hunger Task Force urging you to take action on this and other matters. To learn more about our agency’s policy work, call Hunger Task Force's educator at (414) 777-0483.
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7.7 million |
U.S. children receiving free and reduced-price breakfast each day
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About the Challenge
(414) 777-0483