Home > Relish Austin > Archives > 2008 > July > 16 > Entry
Could you live a month on food stamps?
He lost 18 pounds and had to stop yesterday, just four days shy of his goal, because doctors warned him that he shouldn’t risk his health by losing any more weight.
“I can’t put into words how painfully disappointing it was to have to stop,” he said yesterday on the phone. Because of pre-existing health issues, “I was really restricted on what foods I could eat, and the thing I was really surprised the most at was how difficult it was to eat any kind of a healthy diet at $21 a week.”
“It wasn’t about making it 4 weeks,” he said. “It was about understanding things a little bit better. I understand a lot better that when you’re hungry, you want different things.”
One shopping day, while standing at the check-out line, he realized he didn’t have enough to buy what he needed to make chili, a calorie-rich dish he thought would provide meals for at least a few days. “And I thought I had a great idea, ‘Just don’t buy your medicines this week’.” If it’s not sacrificing medicines, it’s utilities or other bills that have to wait.
He tried to include fruits and vegetables in the budget, but they just didn’t provide enough calories. Ritz crackers and peanut butter were what got him through the experiment.
But for so many people in Central Texas, eating on $21 is a week is no experiment, it’s a grim day-to-day reality that’s only getting worse as food prices increase a few cents each week.
Next time you go to the grocery store, think about how far $21 dollars goes these days and consider giving back to local organizations that try to fill in the gaps that food stamps inevitably leave.
Permalink | Comments (20) | Post your comment Categories: Food in the news
Comments
Click here to report comment abuse.
By stevear
July 16, 2008 8:45 AM | Link to this
So it took this guy THAT long to figure out that $21 doesn’t go far? Yech…he’s lame; just like this article. Neither one has any depth. Ask someone who REALLY survives on $21 a week next time. Stick to your bourgeois ways.
By staff
July 16, 2008 9:15 AM | Link to this
Hey, Stevear: Do you live on $21 a week? Have you dedicated your life to helping those who do? If the answer is yes to either, please e-mail me at abroyles@statesman.com and I’ll do an article.
Maybe I’m stuck in a bourgeois cloud (or maybe it’s just my humble apartment paid for on a journalist’s salary), but I didn’t know what food stamps bought in 2008 until I read David’s blog. I’m sure plenty of readers didn’t either.
Want to meet up sometime this month and volunteer at the food bank?
By another vote for stevear
July 16, 2008 10:08 AM | Link to this
Maybe you should do a little more investigative work. I have, and know people that still do live on around $21 a week. I’ve never been on the government dole but rest assured many of those getting food stamps are living way past that $21-mark. Gotta get yourself some street knowledge Addie — and you could always teach if you want a better apartment.
By stevear
July 16, 2008 10:57 AM | Link to this
I’ll be succinct: 1) i’ve survived (more than once) on food stamps 2) my life IS dedicated to humanitarian-ism 3) i WAS a teacher too (i volunteer alot still) 4) middle-class angst defines most statesman reporting; if YOU ALL can sober up long enough, i’ll take you to MY haunts. They’re looking for tutors on the east side…you game? Can you do anything other than dole out food and clothes? Can YOU teach?
By gentle reader
July 16, 2008 11:05 AM | Link to this
Sheesh. Why all the negativity? This article is a short report on an experiment by the head of the CAFB. Were it an attempt to provide in-depth insight into the “real lives” of those living on food stamps, these criticisms of the author & subject would be valid, but it’s not. Perhaps these detractors should kindly suggest an article with more depth on that topic, but take this for what it is - an interesting experiment by a man who sought & gained a better perspective on those he’s spending his career helping. Thank you for reporting on it.
By lori
July 16, 2008 11:31 AM | Link to this
What’s so wrong with this blog post? Really? This is not an article presented as “the way to live on food stamps”. It’s a topic starter. It’s one guy’s attempt at trying to understand life on the other side. It should not be expected that he would gain an accurate picture of just how hard that life is. And the reporter’s post doesn’t assume that either.
This is post is a commentary on what one (middle class) guy did as an experiment. It did not involve the reporter going out and talking to struggling families about how they survive. So don’t take the post as meaning something more than it was. Take it as it was presented, and you won’t be disappointed. And I’m sure that other than you two, many of the readers may have had their eyes opened just a little bit.
By staff
July 16, 2008 11:31 AM | Link to this
I can and do teach. I have in formal settings and every day in my home.
It sounds like we have the same goals (teaching, humanitarianism), so I’m trying to figure out what the issue is here. That someone with means tried to put themselves in the shoes of the people he serves? That people who use food banks are taking advantage of the “government dole”?
What shall we tutor? Spanish? Geography? Math? Online debating skills? I’m serious here. E-mail me at abroyles@stateman.com and we’ll set up something.
By Corey Fields
July 16, 2008 12:01 PM | Link to this
Man, I thought this was a good article, why the hostility in the comments! I did not know food stamps provided $21/wk., nor did I know who David Davenport was or anything about him; it was through this article that I found his blog which I think is actually pretty interesting.
@stevear: No depth? Interesting you feel that way, you must have a perspective that you feel supersedes what David has experienced. Unfortunately your uninsightful comments failed to offer any depth of understanding to the discussion.
@another vote: I don’t see your point. You say you know people living on $21/wk., but then your “living way past” comment sounds as though you’re saying that those receiving food stamps are spending more than $21/wk anyways. Perhaps you could clarify, so we could all get a little ‘street knowledge’ ;)
By J-Dub
July 16, 2008 1:00 PM | Link to this
I believe this is a BLOG and not the front page of the news section. Addie, you could post “The sky is blue” and SOMEONE will have an issue with it.
For the record, I’ve enjoyed you as an addition to the Food & Life section, which was in serious need of a jolt of energy. Not everything you post applies to me or my lifestyle, but I enjoy reading your blog anyway. I appreciate the work and effort you put into it.
Take care, Jen
By stevear
July 16, 2008 1:50 PM | Link to this
1) I won’t hang out with you all unless there’s a volleyball involved, 2) The issue seems to be the head of CAFB and his ultra late experiment with $21 a week; he should have thought about it a LONG time ago; this shows his obvious lack of critical awareness; perhaps the article should have mentioned it? 3) This article is typical soul-wretching drivel; it makes feather light of a huge social issue; you see, it’s not real to you so you can poke around, you just barely look it at; you could have at least spoken to ONE person living on $21 a week…that’s the point!
By Prentiss Riddle
July 16, 2008 3:11 PM | Link to this
I don’t get Stevear’s gripe. As head of Capitol Area Food Bank, David Davenport is to be commended for trying to walk in his clients’ shoes for a month. This is a good idea whatever product or service you provide, doubly so when your customers are poor, hungry and socially despised.
By stevear
July 16, 2008 3:47 PM | Link to this
J-Dub: do you know WHY the sky is blue? I do. I bet you’re googling now…question why people don’t know more.
Corey, Your line demonstrates the middle social strata’s blissfully ignorant “wow-ing” at anything the poor must do to survive. David SHOULD have known, even before he was hired, that $21 a week gets you nothing…how could he NOT know…how out of touch can he be? ALL “intelligent” people can tell you that $21 a week gets you squat, even you. A better question is “How did he not know?” He needed to run an experiment to figure it out? You all need to get real.
By David D.
July 16, 2008 5:15 PM | Link to this
Maybe I should chime in..
First of all, thank you Addie. I enjoyed our phone conversation yesterday and I appreciate your comments above.
I also appreciate the comments made by so many. I would like to address a few of them. Just to clarify I knew then and I know now that living on $21 a week would be difficult. I took on this challenge as a personal learning opportunity, not a publicity stunt. I hope my blog posts express those personal feelings as well as what I learned along the way. Stevar, I have to disagree that $21 a week will not work for a person. It just didn’t work for me. If you read all the blog posts you will know that in April, 2007 I had a bi-lateral lung transplant. The medications that sustain my life keep me from eating certain items. What is impossible with a $21 weekly budget is eating in a healthy manner and, at the same time, taking in enough calories to maintain weight. What is simple on $21 a week is eating sugar cereal, flours and other not so healthy items. Because of that (and some mistakes I made along the way) I dropped too much weight and my doctors demanded that I stop. I learned a great deal from these past few weeks – things that I believe will help me be a better leader. I have been active in hunger issues for most of my professional career. I try to do something every year that helps me better understand the issue and challenges of people, families and seniors seeking emergency food assistance. Next year the CAFB will embark on an extensive study of hunger in central Texas. We will interview agency clients from every county in our service area. I will blog about that as well and will share what I have learned to those interested. I encourage others to follow along or better yet – join us here at CAFB and be a part of placing food in front of someone that otherwise would go without.
By J-Dub
July 16, 2008 6:42 PM | Link to this
Stevear,
I know about rayleigh scattering, thank you very much. No need to google it. But thank you for proving my point. Bitter, party of 1 - Your table’s ready!
By Tom Cripps
July 16, 2008 10:15 PM | Link to this
How much is a bag of rice? A bag of dried black beans? Lentils?1 dozen eggs? Pancake mix? Bananas? There are ways to do it and Ritz crackers are expensive anyway. You can buy a 4 lb. bag of masa harina mix and make enough tortillas for about a yr. Just add water and there is no fat. And when you live on a budget,this is what you must do. Look for meats when they’re on sale. And you just may have to “rough it” for a while and not shop at Whole Foods. What irks me is watching people buy groceries w/a lone star card,buy $20 worth of lotto tickets and get into a nice suv.
By stevear
July 17, 2008 8:28 AM | Link to this
I’ll try one last time to illustrate my beef, so to speak.
We bloggers, fortunately, have the option, just like David D. demonstrated, to spend WAY more than $21 a week on food. We have the choice. Read on.
David opted out of his “experiment” citing health reasons; i’ll ask you, “can those depending on $21 a week visit their doctor and then suddenly drop out, like Dave did?” NO, they cannot.
The issues: 1) Addie uncovered something she didn’t recognize at first; i think she does now: (David’s lack of awareness about what $21 a week will get you…something he should have known, had he known, he wouldn’t have put his health at risk with the “experiment”…that’s why we know that he was unaware), 2) middle-class ignorance of food stamps, 3)that no one except me and Dave dare to mention that we should speak with the recipients of $21 a week to see how they make it, and 4) that you all will defend poorly researched writing about grave social issues.
You all need to THINK. I’m glad that Addie asked Dave to respond…i’m sure YOU all learned something. I didn’t.
By J-Dub
July 17, 2008 10:21 AM | Link to this
Good for you, Steve-a-Reno! Congratulations! You’re obviously “Smarter Than a 5th Grader”! Why do you think you’re entitled to talk down to the readers as though we’re not thinking, intelligent individuals? The only thing I’m questioning is why someone would attack a blog post with such bitterness and anger. It wasn’t breaking-news investigatory journalism, either by Addie or Dave. It’s a BLOG!! I hope you’ve sent your application in to the Statesman as you obviously think you can do better. Oh wait… we Statesman readers aren’t smart enough to understand your intellect.
Lighten up Francis! This is a food blog.
Let’s bring the topic back around to food by asking Steve-a-Reno who peed in his Wheaties?
By stevear
July 17, 2008 11:23 AM | Link to this
Yo J-Dub,
Your TV mental aptitude and unwillingness (or inability) to reach further than the obvious is telling of Statesman readers. Clearly, a problem for me; you’re right. But, I live here too…so i gotta cope. That’s easy.
You on the other hand, refuse (or can’t) to participate in reasonable and sustained discussion, instead, you subterfuge with humor, pre-packaged wit, personal attacks and chaotic moral principles….it’s boring and gets on peoples nerves; anybody ever tell you that?
This spread had a good intent and NEEDED depth; it only arrived after i pinged away at it. That’s why i spent time on it. Addie is real smart and she’ll get better; feedback IS necessary, all sorts of it; after all, she’s from Mizzou. You and them should be thanking me.
By Addie Broyles
July 17, 2008 12:02 PM | Link to this
Okie dokie, folks! Thanks for the questions, the comments and the observations about the merits of David Davenport’s $21-a-week experience. It is just a blog post, meant to spark a conversation about what it means to be hungry and poor, and don’t think for a second that this wasn’t something on my radar before.
You’ll see plenty of articles about topics of this nature in the future.
I hope that you all find something to learn on this blog, both from me and other readers.
By J-Dub
July 17, 2008 12:21 PM | Link to this
No, Steve-a-Reno, I’ve never been told I’m boring or get on peoples’ nerves. You’re the first, and coming from you I’ll take it as a compliment. You’re awfully judgemental about what I am and am not capable of, given you know nothing about me. Personal attacks? Pot, Kettle. Nice to meet you.
This platform isn’t big enough for you. Take your anger and bitterness somewhere more appropriate. I have nothing to thank you for.
Oh wait, yes I do. Scrolling back thru your comments, you did remind me that I have a volleyball game tonight. So THANKS!