Get Ready For Hunger Awareness Week

For the third year, Foodista will be joining the Hunger Challenge.  This challenge is an exercise of empathy—to live in someone else's shoes for one week and learn how you can help fight hunger in our community. Remember every household that receives food stamps has a different situation—some are able to purchase additional food, others use food banks or receive meals from friends or family, some people have time to cook meals while others don’t have a place to cook at all. Living on $7 a day is one scenario—sign up to take the Hunger Challenge and be a part of this week-long movement.

Consider this shocking national statistic: one out of every six adults and nearly one out of four children struggle with hunger. Here in Seattle’s King County, record numbers of people don’t have enough to eat. People have to choose between paying rent and buying groceries, and children are going to bed hungry.

Will You Join Us?

Can you feed yourself for only $7 a day for five days? This is the maximum food stamp benefit (known as the Basic Food Program in Washington) for an individual. The average monthly benefit families received in February 2010 was about $245. Beginning March 21, you can take the Hunger Challenge. Visit the Foodista Blog March 21-25 to follow us in the Challenge.

Hunger Challenge rules:

• Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner spending only $7 per day.
• Salt and pepper don't count but all other seasonings, cooking oils, condiments, snacks, drinks, and everything else do.
• Don't use food you already own.
• Don't accept food from family, friends, coworkers and others. Not even the free samples from Costco!
• Try to include fresh produce and healthy protein each day.
• Keep track of expenses, food choices, and recipes and share your experiences on United Way of King County's blog. They’ll have a prize for the best recipe.

You can choose to do the challenge with your partner or family.

Consider the following:

• Can you feed yourself for only $7 a day?
• If you had to make a choice between buying groceries and paying your rent, how would you choose?
• What compromises will you need to make?
• Will you be able to provide much variety or will you need to eat the same thing all week?
• If you don't know how to cook or don’t have much time too cook, does this make the challenge more difficult?
• What if you don’t have access to a kitchen? What types of meals could you have?
• Hunger Challenge food budgets are an estimate based on the maximum monthly Basic Food benefits for the family size. Please note that actual Basic Food benefits are based on a number of factors. Get more information about the Basic Food program here.

Register now and get involved in ending hunger for good. Or, blog for the cause!

Other ways you can help: volunteer, learn more about the Hunger Relief Now! Plan, encourage your friends and family and make your voice heard, donate to your local food bank. If you're participating in the Hunger Challenge, consider donating what you save this week on food.