Could you feed your family on $140 a week?

I got a message today from my friend Pokey telling me about a challenge that was on ABC’s TV show The Chew.  The challenge was trying to feed a family of four on $140 a week.

Why $140, you ask?  That happens to be the highest amount that someone receiving Federal SNAP Aid, better known as Food Stamps, receives.  Now I don’t care what your politics are, but this recession has put many more hard working people at risk for hunger than you can imagine.

A really horrible statistic that the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC has discovered is that 51% of all children in our 34 county service area are on free or reduced price lunches.  Most of them are on free and many more qualify but are too proud to ask for it, so they are just hungry kids.  How can you learn anything if you are hungry?  I have a hard time concentrating right before lunch and I had breakfast.

Pokey said she was going to try and feed her family one-week on that amount.  I need to reminder her not to use what is already in her freezer, or pantry.  If a person is at risk for hunger they usually don’t have much in those places.

The Food Bank is the safety net that fills in where food stamps leave off.   I promise to not preach in this blog, but every so often I will try and educate you on the realities of hunger in our community.

So please consider pledging something to my campaign.  Although losing weight is for me, the money raised will go to help people you may never meet who are grateful for your generosity.