Wince of the Week, October 7-13, 2012 : We are following DC Hunger Solutions’ Food Stamp Challenge this week. Our EHRP team winced when we read these stats on their site:
According to the Food Research and Action Center’s Food Hardship reports:
- Nearly 19 percent of respondents in D.C. experienced food hardship (reported not having enough money in the past twelve months to buy food for themselves or their family) in 2010.
- In 2009-2010, 37.4 percent of households with children in the District of Columbia said they were unable to afford enough food. This is the worst rate in the nation. The food hardship rate for households without children drops to 14.9 percent.
The Food Stamp Challenge gives participants a view of what life can be like for millions of low-income Americans. Challenge participants use the average Food Stamp Program benefit – just $30 per person – as their budget for food for one week. They are forced to make difficult food shopping choices, and often realize how hard it is to avoid hunger, afford nutritious food, and stay healthy.
Click here to read this and other Food Stamp Challenge diary entries in their entirety.
