Solidarity with Those Who are Hungry: Take the Food Stamp Challenge!

Rev. Melanie Oommen,
First Congregational Church - UCC 

Hunger is huge in America!  It’s an even larger reality for Oregonians.  In our country as a whole, approximately 1 in 7 people rely on Food Stamps, while a little more than 1 in 5 Oregonians need such help to keep food on the table.  In Lane County 33% of us are eligible for Food Stamps (see links provided in the "Resources and Info" sidebar to learn how to find out if you qualify and how to apply). Before the cuts that went into effect on Nov. 1, the average per person amount for Food Stamps in Oregon was $28.84 per week.  That amount is now closer to $26.50.

In order to get a “gut level” understanding of living on such an amount, people who don’t use food stamps, from different congregations and faith traditions, are invited to a one week “Food Stamp Challenge.”  During January 13-19, all who sign on for this experience will eat only what the average weekly Food Stamp amount will buy.  More details will be coming as the time gets closer.  At this point, please put the dates on your calendar and get ready to experience what it is like to live on Food Stamps for one week, if this is not already your experience.  This is one way we can be in solidarity with our sisters and brothers, across the United States and sitting next to us in the pew, who experience food insecurity.  

At the conclusion of the week and in preparation for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we will gather in prayer and witness at United Lutheran Church on Sunday afternoon, January 19, at 4 p.m.  If you have any questions about this or would like to participate in organizing this event, please email lanesnapchallenge2014@gmail.com. 

Local Faith Community to Take the Food Stamp Challenge - January 2014

An interfaith group of Eugene/Springfield area clergy and lay people will be participating in the Food Stamp Challenge, also known as the SNAP challenge. SNAP stands for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, more commonly known as "food stamps." 

From Monday, January 13 - Sunday, January 19, 2014, individuals who sign up will commit to limiting their personal budget for food to just under $27 for the week - an approximation of the current typical level of food stamp support available for Americans in need. 

For several years, various national religious organizations have encouraged clergy and laity in around the country to take the Food Stamp Challenge. As new cuts to the program took effect November 1st, it is especially timely for people who are not SNAP recipients to join in this week-long challenge and get a better sense of what it takes to feed oneself or one's family on a Food Stamp budget.

On Sunday, January 12, 2014, at 3 pm, a number of participating local clergy and religious community members will gather at a local supermarket and do grocery shopping for the week. This event is a media opportunity and we'll be seeking local coverage of it. More details will be announced about this soon.

We invite you to join us in taking the challenge. To sign up, email us at lanesnapchallenge2014@gmail.com.

For a glimpse of one person's recent experience with the Food Stamp challenge, check out this video: