Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Welcome!

Welcome to IGPI's Food Stamp Challenge blog. We hope you will participate in the Challenge, which will last from November 10 to November 16.

The Purpose:
Every day, millions of Americans must make ends meet on a food stamp budget. We believe that merely thinking about how difficult it must be to get by on less than $30 a week and actually trying to do it are two very different things. We seek to raise awareness of the need for increased food stamp benefit levels among the University of Michigan community.

The Rules:
  1. You can spend a total of $29.35 for food and non-alcoholic beverages, including purchased meals, during the challenge. You are unable to purchase alcohol in the food stamp program.
  2. Keep track of receipts on food spending and take note of your experiences throughout the week.
  3. Eating at a soup kitchen does not count against your food stamp allotment in Michigan, so feel free to do this if needed.
  4. Do not eat food you already own unless you can figure out roughly how much it costs and then deduct it from your $29.35.
  5. Avoid accepting free food from friends, family, or at work.
  6. Wear your button during the challenge and tell people about what you are doing when they ask about it.
  7. Try to attend our debriefing dinner on Wednesday, November 19th @ 6:00 in MacGregor Commons (SSW) to discuss your experience.
A Few Other Suggestions:
  1. Take note of your experience throughout the week and feel free to share your experiences, including your shopping list, recipes, or tips, with other participants on this blog (login information is included in your sign-up packet)
  2. Consider how your experience is different from that of someone who depends on food stamps every week.
  3. If you have to bend the rules, take a moment to consider what that means. If it’s too hard for you for one week, what does that mean for people who face this every day? What ways do you have access to resources that people on food stamps don’t.