SNAP Challenge

The SNAP Challenge: "Could you feed yourself three nutritious meals a day with only $4.56? That’s the average amount 500,000 Coloradans are receiving from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Thousands of our neighbors subsist on such a budget for themselves and their families through their SNAP benefits. The federal nutrition program, previously known as food stamps, provides households with the financial resources to purchase groceries—literally putting food on tables for millions of American children, adults and seniors. Many families survive entirely on the food acquired through their SNAP benefits, which affords $31.92 per week to the average recipient in Colorado. What if that’s all you had to spend on groceries?"

The SNAP Challenge. My friend, my boyfriend, and I decided to embark on this effort to gain a small glimpse into the way that hundreds of thousands of Coloradans live each day. 

As I started to reflect, I realized that it’s trivial in many ways. This experience will not give me any idea what it's really like to live on SNAP benefits. I know that, and I'm not pretending that I'll walk away from this experience being able to relate. Jonathan, Ben and I all embark on this week knowing that we have family and friends who have used SNAP benefits. And that’s kind of the point. None of us are far from hunger. Children sitting in classrooms. Working parents. Young professionals. Farmers supporting our commerce. 

Hunger is very real in America.

Honestly, I struggled with whether to share this challenge publicly. Yet, to not share it seems to miss an opportunity to start a conversation that - if enough people want to do something about - may actually change a current reality. 

When I first started learning about hunger, it blew my mind. How is it that we have more than enough food in our country, but we have so many people who are hungry? How is it that when I feel like a latte at Starbucks and grab one, I spend more on my afternoon pick-me-up than people are able to spend on an entire day of food in the SNAP program?

Where do we even start to create change when 15.7 percent of Denver residents live at or below poverty, and there are only 27 affordable housing units for every 100 low-income families?

My hope is that together we can begin to tear down the stigma of hunger and those experiencing hunger, and begin treating it as the real issue that it is. 

I invite you to join the conversation - to share what you know, to learn, to act, to empower others to do the same. 

So for one week, it's $1.52 per meal ($4.56 per day / $31.92 per week) - something that is a reality day-in and day-out for many people and families in Denver. 

SNAP Benefit food purchase #1 - $21.88.

I went straight to the inside aisles. I looked for deals everywhere and didn't shop fresh foods. I tried to get a mix of things that would have some nutritional value, but ultimately ended up substituting healthier options I might usually get for less expensive brands that have added sugar and additives or hydrogenated oil. A juxtaposition that hit me: my usual natural peanut butter is about $7.50, and the generic brand (with fully hydrogenated oil) was $2.99. I wanted to save some money in case I ran out later in the week.