Food Stamp Challenge Diary- Day 1

by Mark Leno [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Today I began the Food Stamp Challenge, living off the national average food stamp budget?$21 a week. That breaks down to $3 a day, or $1 per meal.

It?s very hard to imagine how so many eat on so little money. This is exactly why I decided to take on the challenge. Two million people in California are on food stamps, two-thirds of which are children who need nutritious foods to fuel their growing bodies. It?s my hope that this effort makes just a few people think about the difficult choices that so many in our country and our state deal with every day when trying to stretch their food stamp dollar to feed their families.
When I went to the grocery store and bought food for the upcoming week, I have to admit, I got a little nervous about how little I saw in my basket. But I?m eager to raise awareness about hunger in California and gain a better understanding of what so many in the State experience everyday.

Today is a busy day as I?m running back and forth between the Budget Conference Committee where I?m working with my colleagues on the State Budget, and the Assembly Floor where I?m working to win Assembly approval of my own bills by the deadline at the end of the week.

I?m off and running today with the challenge and started my day with a bowl of cereal.

Check back with me a little later and I?ll update you on my progress.