Would you be able to eat enough nutritious foods for $6.00 a day? Our Community Assistance Program (CAP) team takes on the SNAP Challenge.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP, is a government program that is designed to help low income people buy enough nutritious food when they need it. Qualifications to participate include being a U.S. citizen, income limits, work requirements and others. The average daily allotment for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients is $6.00 a day.
Our CAP team assists neighbors with applying for SNAP, application renewals and ensuring the neighbor’s account is up to date and accurate. By participating in this challenge, the team will be able to reflect and understand neighbors’ experiences with food insecurity. In this challenge, the team hopes to educate the public on the realities our neighbors experience with food insecurity.
Nina – Community Resource Navigator
Duration: 7 days
Total Amount: $5.89 (average per day)
The SNAP Challenge truly opened my eyes to the reality of food insecurity and the struggles faced by those who rely on state benefits. I came to understand just how much strategy and sacrifice goes into every single purchase when that’s the only money you have for food. Going through that experience made me realize that in today’s world, something as basic and essential as buying food—a true necessity—can end up feeling like a luxury.
Valeria – Community Resource Navigator
Duration: 1 day
Total Amount: $5.85
While doing this challenge, it made me slow down, while everyone was rushing past me in the store. During which I felt stress and fear. As I approached the self-pay counter, I was hesitant, yet relieved when I realized 5 simple ingredients, will get me through the day. I wondered about the families who don’t have an air fryer to cook the food like I did.
It’s a blessing to have been able to eat 3 meals for $6. It inspired me to seek low cost yet healthy foods, for my future grocery runs, even if it means sacrificing taste and appeal.
Jolene – Director of Economic Mobility
Duration: 1 day
Total Amount: $6.20
As I dietitian I went in thinking it wouldn’t be too difficult. I thought to myself, I will focus on protein foods like nuts and Greek yogurt that will help hold me over. I was even intentional and chose to do it on the day I was working from home so I wouldn’t have as many distractions. I was WRONG! While that might have been a good plan, it was hard to do with $6 for the entire day. The items I purchased were a can of sardines, a box of saltine crackers, a box of chicken broth and a bag of frozen veggies. I made a very basic soup since the weather cooled down some this week. For breakfast, I had a cup of coffee and some saltine crackers. For lunch I had sardines and crackers and some soup. I ended up going over the $6 allotment by $.20 and I was really hungry. By 7pm, I folded and failed the challenge. This experience reinforced and confirmed the difficult choice that our neighbors have to make every day.
Teresa – Community Assistance Program Supervisor
Duration: 1 day
Total Amount: $5.86
Families are truly making hard decisions on how to buy food each day. $6 is not enough to have a full balanced meal. Buying fruit and meats take the majority of your money and most of the time, you have resulted to buying not the most nutritious foods (a well balanced meal).
Food insecurity can affect anyone—but you can make a difference. Click on Hunger Action Month to discover simple ways to support your neighbors and take meaningful action.