prepare myself, grateful for the marshmallows I saved in a St. Anthonyâs-provided baggie and would savor slowly at my desk over the next few days.
Later that day, I caught up with Paul Ash of the Food Bank to talk about the bigger picture of hunger in San Francisco. One of the main causes, he says, is the high cost of living in the city. Because the qualifying amount for SNAP benefits is the same across the country, a person might make more dollars per hour here than someone in rural Pennsylvania, but have less buying power with that dollar.
I brought up my feelings of dilettantism; my trip to St. Anthonyâs had reminded me how far removed I was from poverty, even when I was pretending not to be. âIf all we did is experience this and go back to our regular lives and didnât do anything differently, that would be kind of self-satisfying,â he says. He brought up the bill currently in the House of Representatives to cut the SNAP budget by $40 billion, and how heâs hoping this challenge will encourage people to speak out. âActive citizenry approaches issues from a base of knowledge, a base of understanding. Itâs easy to see data, but this is about showing people how it feels, and how you act differently [when youâre living with food insecurity].â
And the Hunger Challenge was definitely having an impact on my life. I felt isolated and alone. A visit to the supermarket was just a reminder of all the things I couldnât buy. An invitation from my friends was just a reminder of all the bars and restaurants I couldnât afford. I didnât have much time to go out, anyway, with all the planning and cooking I had to do just to make enough food to get me through the day. On Wednesday night I was feeling so low, physically and psychologically, that I knew I had to make a good dinner. Ispent half of my remaining budget on six chicken legs, a head of kale, and a lemon. That night I made the best meal I ate all week, with enough leftovers to last a few days. It was a kind of victory.
On Friday, I went back to the Food Bank and had lunch with the staff, who were all participating in the challenge together. The sense of camaraderie was palpable as they cooked their lunches in the kitchen, swapping recipe ideas and the names of stores where theyâd found the best deals. We talked about our separate experiences and I was gratified to hear how similar theirs had been to mine. Those whoâd been most successful on the challenge were the ones whoâd had timeâto comparison-shop or prepare foodâor kitchen knowhow, and had livened up their week with homemade potato chips, pickled watermelon rind, and pizza. âItâs not just about the food, itâs about knowing what to do with it and having the time to do those things,â says Teri Olle, associate director of policy and advocacy.
You also need community, a lesson brought home by a phone conversation with Glenda Robinzine, a 65-year-old San Francisco resident who depends on the Food Bank every week. She said sheâd just taken a pound cake out of the oven, made from butter and cake mix sheâd received, and was planning to use her supplies to make peanut brittle, banana bread, pecan pralines, and other goodies for a Food Bank fundraiser she was holding at her church the next weekend. I asked if it was hard to plan ahead, not knowing what sheâd receive every week. âI like to be surprised,â she says, adding that she usually calls a friend in Bayview, who receives her Food Bank delivery a day before, to find out what might be coming.
Robinzine now lives in an assisted living facility; before she moved there, before she was homeless, before she was diagnosed with cancer, she volunteered at her church, giving out food to people who needed it. âNow Iâm the one who needs it. Now Iâm the one whoâs dependent on it,â she says. âI never thought I would be, but I
Later that day, I caught up with Paul Ash of the Food Bank to talk about the bigger picture of hunger in San Francisco. One of the main causes, he says, is the high cost of living in the city. Because the qualifying amount for SNAP benefits is the same across the country, a person might make more dollars per hour here than someone in rural Pennsylvania, but have less buying power with that dollar.
I brought up my feelings of dilettantism; my trip to St. Anthonyâs had reminded me how far removed I was from poverty, even when I was pretending not to be. âIf all we did is experience this and go back to our regular lives and didnât do anything differently, that would be kind of self-satisfying,â he says. He brought up the bill currently in the House of Representatives to cut the SNAP budget by $40 billion, and how heâs hoping this challenge will encourage people to speak out. âActive citizenry approaches issues from a base of knowledge, a base of understanding. Itâs easy to see data, but this is about showing people how it feels, and how you act differently [when youâre living with food insecurity].â
And the Hunger Challenge was definitely having an impact on my life. I felt isolated and alone. A visit to the supermarket was just a reminder of all the things I couldnât buy. An invitation from my friends was just a reminder of all the bars and restaurants I couldnât afford. I didnât have much time to go out, anyway, with all the planning and cooking I had to do just to make enough food to get me through the day. On Wednesday night I was feeling so low, physically and psychologically, that I knew I had to make a good dinner. Ispent half of my remaining budget on six chicken legs, a head of kale, and a lemon. That night I made the best meal I ate all week, with enough leftovers to last a few days. It was a kind of victory.
On Friday, I went back to the Food Bank and had lunch with the staff, who were all participating in the challenge together. The sense of camaraderie was palpable as they cooked their lunches in the kitchen, swapping recipe ideas and the names of stores where theyâd found the best deals. We talked about our separate experiences and I was gratified to hear how similar theirs had been to mine. Those whoâd been most successful on the challenge were the ones whoâd had timeâto comparison-shop or prepare foodâor kitchen knowhow, and had livened up their week with homemade potato chips, pickled watermelon rind, and pizza. âItâs not just about the food, itâs about knowing what to do with it and having the time to do those things,â says Teri Olle, associate director of policy and advocacy.
You also need community, a lesson brought home by a phone conversation with Glenda Robinzine, a 65-year-old San Francisco resident who depends on the Food Bank every week. She said sheâd just taken a pound cake out of the oven, made from butter and cake mix sheâd received, and was planning to use her supplies to make peanut brittle, banana bread, pecan pralines, and other goodies for a Food Bank fundraiser she was holding at her church the next weekend. I asked if it was hard to plan ahead, not knowing what sheâd receive every week. âI like to be surprised,â she says, adding that she usually calls a friend in Bayview, who receives her Food Bank delivery a day before, to find out what might be coming.
Robinzine now lives in an assisted living facility; before she moved there, before she was homeless, before she was diagnosed with cancer, she volunteered at her church, giving out food to people who needed it. âNow Iâm the one who needs it. Now Iâm the one whoâs dependent on it,â she says. âI never thought I would be, but I
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