Jacqueline's Challenge – The Cost of Hunger

In an effort to raise awareness about poverty and hunger, I will be living off the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) allotment for the next seven days. The purpose of this challenge is to raise awareness and experience what it is like trying to eat healthy on an extremely limited budget. It highlights how far reaching food insecurity can be. 

SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, is our nation’s largest hunger safety net offering nutrition assistance to over 45 million low-income individuals. In California, we call this federal program CalFresh. It provides 1 in 9 Californians with a means to purchase healthy foods while improving household food security. The average CalFresh benefit allotment for one individual is $4.27 per day, or $29.89 for a week. Stay tuned to see what $4.27/day looks like and why this is called a challenge.

Here is a photo of my breakfast from Day 1 of the CalFresh Challenge. The banana might not look the most appetizing or freshest because I bought them last week when I was able to get to the discount grocery store. I hope this helps to highlight the difficulties individuals and families face with transportation and food deserts.

In my day to day work at Feeding America San Diego, I see what the cost of hunger is on our community. I’m raising money and awareness by launching a fundraiser through the month of September for those that would like to support me and my life-long mission of alleviating hunger and empowering others.

Will you help me by making a donation to help end hunger in our communities today? Thanks in advance for your support!